


Broken Silence

by letsgobethots



Category: RWBY
Genre: Backstory, Developing Relationship, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Mute Neopolitan (RWBY), Pre-RWBY, Self-Harm, Self-Hatred
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-26
Updated: 2019-02-02
Packaged: 2019-09-27 18:20:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 6
Words: 27,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17166974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/letsgobethots/pseuds/letsgobethots
Summary: Roman Torchwick finds himself helping Neopolitan, a mute girl who has threatened his life multiple times. She can't speak, but he had no problem understanding who she is and what she wants. Her past is something she wants to forget but to move on, she plans her revenge with Roman on her side.





	1. Silent Screams

“You’re so small.”

Neopolitan grew up listening to this phrase constantly. Every time she heard them, she would huff angrily and stomp her feet like the child she was. She was eight years old and everyone was a skyscraper compared to her. It was at this age when she decided to stop reacting to it. People loved seeing her reaction as much as they loved teasing her about her height. Her parents kept her hidden from most things in the world.

“You’re sick, Neopolitan,” her mother, Minthe Sorvete would repeat to her every night when she tucked her small daughter into bed. “You will always be sick. You are small and delicate and have to be protected. You cannot go outside.”

She didn't understand why. She didn’t understand many things. She didn’t feel sick. She was allowed to roam around the house and backyard by herself. She ate and played and did things any child would. Except... she didn’t speak. She didn’t laugh or cry or scream. When she was born, her mother thought the baby was stillborn because she didn’t hear it cry. When Neopolitan was growing up, she was scolded, disciplined, and even beaten a few times. But she never cried or screamed when it happened. Sure, tears formed in her eyes, but she never cried or made a sound. Her father detested her for it.

“Your child is broken,” Neopolitan overheard him say to his mother. “What child doesn’t cry when they’re born? What child doesn’t laugh? How can you love something like that? She’s your responsibility, not mine.”

“Choc, please…” her mother begged. “She’s your daughter. All she needs is love. There’s nothing wrong with her.”

“I don’t want her to get any unnecessary attention from the public. The Sorvete Manor has a reputation to uphold.” `

She was ten when her mother died. Neopolitan tried to cry. Everyone around her was doing it, why couldn’t she? She tried pinching herself under her dress, she bit her lip until it bled. When that didn’t work, she grabbed a knife from the kitchen and used it to slice across her skin to feel some pain. But she didn’t. The only screams that came were the screams of horrors from the funeral guests when they found little Neopolitan in her little white dress covered in blood. They asked her if she was hurt, who did this to her, what happened. She didn’t respond, of course. She wouldn’t know what to say even if she could. How does she explain to them she cut herself so she could _feel_ something?

Her father fell into despair. He couldn’t afford to keep the same lifestyle after his wife died. She earned more money and knew how to care for his unusual daughter. Minthe had the patience to raise Neopolitan, she loved her child and would do anything for her. She ignored the fact that something was wrong with Neopolitan and had a more caring nature with her than Choc. But now that Minthe was gone and resources were limited, Choc had to spend more time with his daughter. The servants of the manor slowly began leaving when money supply was running low.

Neopolitan ignored her father most of the time. Whenever he ordered her to do something, she would listen and do as said, but besides that, she pretended he didn’t exist. She can’t remember the last time he hugged her or simply touched her in parental affection. Her mother did it all the time, even if Neopolitan protest about it. Sometimes she misses her mother and wishes there was someone who would talk to her. It was nice to feel wanted. She tolerated her father, but she did not like him.

When strangers began showing up at the house, Neopolitan was ordered to stay in her locked room until her father let her out. She obeyed and ignored the sounds that came from the bedrooms around her. Choc lost his job months ago and dove into illegal activities to earn money. One way or another, he managed to keep the manor and keep his creepy daughter hidden from the public eye. The riskier his business activities turned out to be, the more he knew she could be used against him. While he would never love her, Choc would keep Neopolitan safe in Minthe’s memory.

Neopolitan was used to seeing women living in her house now. Sometimes they had the rooms to their bedrooms shut so she couldn’t see inside. Neopolitan was told to clean up the rooms when the women were done with their guests. She didn’t ask any questions or bother to care, she could only assume things. The women were instructed by Choc to ignore Neo and not to engage in conversation. No one knew she was mute, so when they tried speaking to her, they thought Neopolitan was simply ignoring them. She spent most of her time reading or playing games when she was done with her chores. After her mother died, her father stopped hiring tutors for Neopolitan. She was never sent to school, never as much as stepped outside the house without being escorted by Choc and his guards. She got bored easily and has tried to sneak out, but her pink and brown hair was a quick giveaway to the guards around the house. So instead of wearing disguises, Neopolitan found a special little gift.

She learned how to change her appearance. She didn’t know how it happened or why, but one night she was tired of hearing the moans and screams of the women in the house and wanted to leave. She was only fifteen, but with her height disadvantage, she looked younger than that. She wanted to meet people she would actually like and who would want to be her friend. She was just staring at herself in the mirror when she saw herself change into someone that resembled her mother, green hair with even lighter green eyes. Shocked by her ability, she turned back to her original self. She kept practicing until her illusions were a natural thing to do. She used this ability to sneak out.  She enjoyed exploring the city at night.

One night after creeping past dark alleyways and suspicious characters, she heard someone whistle at her. At this point, she was used to it. She didn’t care. Most of her clothes were too small and tight on her. She’s asked Choc for new clothes, but he refused her, saying it was more important to pay the bills for the house and keep everyone fed. The skirt she was wearing barely grazed her thighs and the shirt had holes on the sides so they would fit her. She ignored men like she ignored her father. Neopolitan was used to seeing women around the house, but rarely saw men. Her father instructed her to stay away from them. She was on her way home when she noticed a sketchy group of men following her. She quickened her pace, her heels clicking against the concrete aggressively. She turned a corner and realized it was a dead end. When she turned around, the three men had cornered her.

“So small…” one of them muttered with a disgusting smile. She scowled at him. She hated how often she heard that remark. “Don’t you know that small things need to be protected?” He reached over and grabbed her arm harshly. “They break easily.” She grunted and tried to snatch her arm free. Another man grabbed her other arm so she couldn’t fight back.

“Cat’s got your tongue, honey?” the third man asked as he grabbed her face. She let out the smallest of gasps when she recognized her father’s face. “You’re going to work for me.” She let her illusion fall apart so he would recognize her. His eyes grew wide in shock. He backhanded her until she was knocked unconscious. The two men holding her began asking questions. They both saw her change form. Her father instructed for Neopolitan to be taken to the house, not revealing her true identity to them. They complied but told him he better hold his end of the deal. Neopolitan was locked in a bedroom that was not her own as her father paced in his study. The men were outside waiting to be called in.

They have been working together for years. The two brothers would grab girls and take them to the Sorvete Manor to work for Choc’s illegal brothel. Sometimes their payment was only money, other times they wanted first grab at the girls they kidnapped. Choc feared it was one of those times they didn’t want monetary payment. When the brothers joined the study, Choc handed them the Lien. It was more than generous of their usual pay.

“I don’t think so, old man,” the eldest replied. “You don’t have an explanation for us. How was that girl able to change her appearance? And why did you knock her out? You charge us every time we bruise any cargo.”

“You know how semblances work,” Choc responded nonchalantly. “The girl must have that ability. And I don’t need to give you any explanation, but I knocked her out in case she had any other trick up her sleeve.” Choc lit a cigar to keep himself busy. “Take your Lien and go.”

The younger brother clicked his tongue in response and shook his head. “I kinda liked how the new girl looked. Innocence is more valuable than money, don’t you think so big bro?” Choc tapped his cigar against the ashtray to hide his discomfort as the two brothers agreed on what they wanted. "The strange and unusual ones always have a little something extra."

“Look, I’m tired and don’t want to stay up all night listening to you two going at it all night. I can double the Lien just to get you out of my hair.” The older brother leaned in and shook his head.

“We want the girl.” A muscle in Choc’s face twitched. “You’ve let us do worse before. It’s not like you know this kid.” Choc quickly darted his eyes to the other brother, but it was enough of a tell. They knew this kid meant something to Choc and they were more than willing to cross moral lines for it. “We’ll even pay you the Lien you’re offering for us.” Choc tapped his cigar before responding.

“I guess I better see if the girl is awake.” He stood up. “I expect to see each of your payments ready by the time I come back.”

“Each?” the younger brother scoffed. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“What was it you said? Innocence is more valuable than money?” Choc left the study and entered the room Neopolitan was locked in. She was huddled in a corner, cradling her bruised face. Her face was dry of any tears. She rarely showed emotion, especially in front of her father. “You know I don’t ask much of you.” Neopolitan didn’t look up from the floor. “There’s a reason I keep you hidden. I do what I have to do to keep you fed and alive and to keep this manor for us. Now I have to let things happen just to ensure you will be kept safe from others. Why do you think I keep you in the manor? Just so I can keep your company to myself?” Neopolitan hugged her knees to her chest.

“You know I’ve never loved you.” The girl looked up and glared at her father, the most reaction he'll get out of her. “From the minute you were born, I knew something was wrong with you. But I still kept you safe because I knew Minthe cared about you. She was too blind to see how damaged you are. I could have abandoned you after your mother died, but I didn’t. The business I do is what has kept us fed and alive.” Choc sighed and shook his head. He ran a hand down his face and didn’t look at his daughter. “Neopolitan… I’m sorry. There’s no other way. Some men are going to come in here. I promise it’s a one-time thing. I have to do what I do to keep us alive.” He stopped at the doorway. “If I were you, I’d keep that little trick of yours hidden.”

When her father left, Neopolitan waited in the room, still huddled in the corner. The men who grabbed her entered the room. They didn’t even hesitate before grabbing her and forcing her on the bed. She grunted and struggled as they pinned her down, but she couldn’t break free. “Small things are weak things,” one of them laughed in her ear as he pressed himself against her. It’s been a while since Neopolitan has felt any emotion, but all she felt now was fear. _No,_ she thought to herself as they tore her clothes away. She always questioned what the women did in their rooms. Now she wished she’d never found out. She whimpered and kept struggling against them even though it was useless. They were much stronger than her.

Choc could have left the manor. Instead, he stayed in his study and drank. Whenever the brothers decided to have a girl instead of taking the money, the sounds of their moans and grunts would be mixed with the girl’s screams. There have been times when Choc wished the girl would stop screaming as the men raped her just so he could catch a break and feel less guilty. But as the night faded into the morning, and the bottle slowly emptied, Choc regretted ever wishing that. Neopolitan couldn’t scream even if she wanted to. It was worse just hearing the men.

They left without saying goodbye to Choc. They already paid for their company. Choc left his study after he saw them drive away. He strolled down the halls until he was in front of Stele’s room. She’s his oldest worker and the one who take cares of the girls after their first client. She keeps the girls in order and is one of the few who's allowed to leave the house. He knocked on her door until she answered. Stele was cold, silver hair and black eyes. She was blunt and straight to point. Choc assigned her to tell the girls what their role is now that they work in the brothel because of this ability. She left little room for comfort.

“You know the drill,” Choc said as he swirled his scotch. She looked confused. “There’s a new girl downstairs. Give her the talk then have her come to me. Don’t ask any questions.”

“What are you talking about, Sir?” she asked. “I didn’t hear anything last night.” Choc glared at her. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “I’ll be there in a minute.”

Neopolitan was still in the bed when Stele went to her room. She rarely stopped to look at the girls after their first clients. Stele had been in the business long enough to build up an almost careless attitude. Every girl had a different reaction, but they had that same dead look in their eyes every time. This girl barely looked twelve, but Stele recognized her. She slowly sat on the bed next to the girl, pulling the covers away to see the damage inflicted. Neopolitan flinched when the woman touched her.

“Hey, girl,” Stele said with a careness she thought she lost. “Aren’t you Sorvete’s daughter?” Neopolitan tried to reach for the covers so she could hide like she did when she was a child. “Let’s get you cleaned up.” Stele helped the girl wash up and change into a fresh set of clothes. She tried to ignore the bruises that were all over her body. Her hips and thighs were black with bruises, there was an entire handprint on her arm and shoulder due to how hard they held her in place, and even a fair amount around her neck. Her eyes were red and puffy from all the crying.

Stele knew she should be giving her the talk, but she honestly didn’t know how to react. She used to hate Choc. Over the years of being forced to work for him, she had grown to endure him due to her safety and freedom. She had seen the girl grow up. She never spoke and Choc never talked about her. She didn’t even know the girl’s name. Stele was filled with rage, a rage she hasn’t experienced in many years. She left the girl in the bathroom and stormed into Choc’s study. He was by the window drinking another glass of scotch. When he turned around in surprise, Stele slapped him before he could say anything.

“What kind of a monster are you?!” she spat, shoving him harshly and digging her nails into his face. “She’s your kid!” Choc backhanded Stele until she fell over, her nose bleeding and lip cut open because of his ring.

“Don’t you  _dare_ try to defy me,” he snarled, slamming his glass on the ground. The shattering noise caused her to flinch. “This is her own fault. She snuck out at night disguised. When we caught her to bring her here, it was too late to tell the brothers to back off when I recognized who she was.”

“You gave her to those animals?!” Stele shouted, still angry. She grabbed the broken glass and threw it at him. “You’re a coward! She’s a _child_!”

“It was a one-time thing!” Choc went to his mini bar and poured another drink. “She’ll stay hidden in the manor where no one can see her. No one but those two will know she exists.”

“What if they want more?” Stele grumbled knowing very well how those men can get. Choc shrugged before answering.

“I’ll figure something out.” He sat in his desk. “Bring Neopolitan in here.” Stele mumbled the name to herself as she walked out. The small girl was still in the bathroom, her arms wrapped around herself to look even smaller if possible.

“Neopolitan?” Stele called out gently. She looked up in surprise. “It’s okay. Come on, your father wants to see you.” That didn’t encourage Neopolitan to go. “I’ll be there with you if you want me to.” Neopolitan looked away before nodding. Together they joined Choc in his study. They took the two seats in front of his desk.

“Stele, you can-” Choc began to dismiss before getting interrupted.

“No.” Choc was shocked for a second before shaking his head. “Anything you say to Neopolitan can be said in front of me. She’s been through enough already.” Choc chuckled as he stood up and walked around.

“Stele, you’ve been a loyal worker of mine for many years. You have done little to upset me.” When he stood behind her, he held a knife to her throat. Neopolitan let out the faintest gasp she could muster as Stele froze in fear. “But I think you forgot who runs this place. You work for _me._ You do as _I_ say. You are going to forget what happened today and you are going to tell no one. You will not speak to Neopolitan after this. You will not worry about her. If you disobey me, like you’ve done so many times today, I _will_ dispose of you. Is that clear?” Stele gulped and nodded. Choc pressed the knife harshly against her throat. “I didn’t hear you.”

“Yes, Sir,” Stele breathed out quickly. Chock removed the knife, nicking her slightly. Stele held a hand to her throat and felt the blood already pouring out from the shallow cut. With one final look at Neopolitan, she ran out of the study. Choc returned to his seat, placing the knife in plain sight. He ignored the bruises on his daughter. “Now, we have things to talk about. Well, I’ll do most of the talking anyway.” Neopolitan kept her eyes down. “How long have you had that trick of yours?” Neo didn’t move or try to give him a response. “Can you hold up fingers? Write it down? Can you even write?” Neopolitan shook her head slightly. She only had basic grade school education and knew how to read, but she hasn’t practiced writing since before her mother’s death. Choc sighed in annoyance.

“Of course you can’t. You’re nothing more than a nuisance to me.”  Neopolitan went cold. She glared at the floor instead of looking at her father. She felt numb all over. She could feel her bruises, but they didn’t hurt. She felt nothing but emptiness inside her. “Show me your trick.” When she didn’t comply, he slammed his fist down on the desk and shouted, “NOW!” at her. She flinched away in fear but did as told. Her hair changed to silver and her eyes to black, like Stele. Choc hummed in curiosity as he picked up the knife. “You would have come in handy here. But I suppose even I have boundaries I can’t cross.” He slammed the knife down on the desk causing her to flinch again. “I kept you hidden so no one would try to use you against me, Neopolitan. I did it to protect you. Last night should be a lesson for you. Those men would have done a lot worse if I said no to them. I promise it’s a one-time thing.” He opened a drawer in his desk and tossed her a bag of Lien.

“Go buy new clothes. I’ll have a guard take you. You have an hour to go there and come back.” Neopolitan grabbed the bag and turned to leave. “I’ve never heard you make a sound before, yet you gasped when I threatened Stele, someone you hardly know. I always thought you were unable to speak, but if you can make a sound, then you can speak, right?” Choc shook his head and chuckled to himself. “You’re not human, Neopolitan. I don't understand how anyone could live like that. But as they told you, you’re small and weak. If you can tell me you want to leave, I’ll let you walk out of here.” She moved her lips, but couldn’t even shape words, much less make a sound for the words. Choc dismissed her from his study.

Neopolitan spent her days in her bedroom. She ate there, she read there, she did everything there. She saw her father maybe once a week. She hadn’t tried sneaking out, but even if she did, she noticed the new guards placed outside her door, at the end of her hall, and below her window. Even if she wanted to, she would be caught in any disguise she was in. Neo felt more alone than ever. After that night, she fell back into the emotionless abyss she was so used to. She knew she should feel something, so she resorted to cutting herself again. It didn’t work, she kept feeling that numbness inside. She spent weeks in front of her mirror practicing the words she read in her books, but she never made any sound. She tried to force herself to scream, but nothing but a strangled gasp came out. She wanted freedom, and for a while, her father kept his promise. But one time became two, which became three…

Choc tried to keep his promise. But when the brothers came back with more money and bigger threats, Choc didn’t have an excuse to say no. He considered having them killed, but they told others about Neopolitan. Others who held more power in the criminal world. Others who could actually kill Choc and take everything he worked hard for. After each client and after drinking himself blind, Choc decided he didn’t care anymore. He kept telling himself Neopolitan wasn’t human. If she wanted it to stop, she could say something. He sold most of his girls to other people and solely used Neopolitan and the few girls he decided to keep for his brothel. He made her use her semblance to please the client. When he was basically drunk 24/7 and had nothing left to lose, he told the clients their night would be free if they could make Neopolitan scream. Those who took the offer failed as Choc guessed they would. He watched every time, and every time, something inside him died until he no longer felt human. When he felt he had nothing to live for, he ordered her to change her appearance to green hair with matching green eyes.

Neopolitan had practiced this before. She had changed to look like her mother many times so she wouldn’t feel alone when she hid in her bedroom on the few nights she wasn’t forced to be with a client. But Choc had a different motive in mind and he wanted to twist this beautiful thing of hers into something terrible. He ordered his guards to keep her pinned down. These guards were new, hardly anyone in the manor knew she was his daughter. Neopolitan had stopped fighting the clients after years of abuse. They enjoyed it more when she struggled so she would just lay there until they were done. This was the one time she actually tried. She broke her illusion when she thought he would just leave her alone, but he beat her bloody until she formed it again. “Minthe was all I ever wanted. I loved her, and all I have left is you, Neopolitan, you pathetic girl.” Neopolitan gasped and gave the smallest of sobs, the most she could ever give out, as she was utterly defenseless. Her throat burned as she kept gasping and crying.

When morning broke and Choc was fast asleep, Neopolitan decided it was time to leave. She had nothing left to lose. The emptiness in her blinded her as she snuck into his study to retrieve his knife and a large amount of Lien. She was on her way to the door when a guard stopped her.  She was ready to use the knife is she had to; it was one of the guards who held her down without a second thought. He simply held his hands up in defense. “I know a way out for you. I’m just trying to help.” Neopolitan didn’t have much time to consider the consequences, she just wanted to leave this house. She hasn’t stepped foot outside this building in years. She nodded to the guard. He directed her to a secret exit, one that used to be for the employees the manor once had. She was only wearing an old oversized shirt she managed to find on her way out to escape. At least she had a knife she could use. The guard told her how to follow the exit and how to leave the property without getting caught. Neopolitan knew he was the only witness to her escape. Looking up at him with wide eyes, he gave her a look of sympathy.

“You’re so small. I can’t believe your father would do this to someone who can’t defend themselves.” Neopolitan’s face turned to rage as she stabbed the knife through his chest. _I am not weak_ , she thought to herself as she twisted the knife in his chest. Releasing a sigh of relief when he heard him gasp in pain, she hid his body in the secret passage. She took his scroll, his boots, and the jacket he had even if it now had blood before fleeing away. She skipped towns, she mugged people when necessary, and killed when she had to. She lived on the streets for months, years. She did what she had to do to survive and skipped towns when needed. _I will never be weak again_.


	2. Deal with the Devil

She was in a town outside of Mistral when she got caught mugging a pair of tourists. This was the first time she’d been caught in this town, so she wasn’t  _that_  worried. When it came to it, she had many tricks up her sleeve. Her semblance has gotten stronger. She could make illusions of wearing different clothes now. She was a master of tricks; nothing could hold her down. Neopolitan was thrown in a large cell, one that made her look comically small. She was the only one there so she claimed the beat-up cot for herself. Her toes didn’t come close to touching the floor. The cop her brought her in stood outside the bars holding a clipboard and pen.

“Alright, kid, just give me your name and your parent’s number and you’ll be home before suppertime.” Neopolitan smiled to herself. She knew better than to reveal her natural features when she was around people, they were too identifiable. Right now she had light brown hair and bright green eyes. The more innocent she looked, the easier it was to get away with things. The cop patiently tapped his pen against his clipboard and waited for her response. “You can stay here all night until the tourists decide to press charges or not.” Neopolitan simply looked at the man with innocent eyes. The cop shook his head in and went to his desk, muttering annoyingly to himself.

This wasn’t an ideal location to break herself out, she’ll admit that. The cell she was being held in was in the same room as the cops rather than being separated. Usually, she would be able to pick the lock and disguise herself as a cop and simply walk out, but there were at least a dozen cops in the room that she couldn’t risk that. She laid down on the cot and counted the nails in the ceiling to pass time. She just had to wait for the right moment when all the cops got distracted. Hours went by and many cops tried interrogating her. Each one of them gave up after a while. Neither of them knew she was mute, they simply thought she was good at keeping her mouth shut. That was one of Neopolitan’s best tricks.

“Hey, hey hey! Watch the hat, it’s worth more than your paycheck.” Neopolitan sat up in her cot and watched as a man was being led by three cops into the cell. “Oh no, you caught me red handed. You must be so proud of yourself. Have you told your mommy yet?” He grunted in distaste when one of the cops shoved him roughly into the cell Neopolitan was in. He stood up and brushed the dust from his white trench coat. With that, the bowling hat, the cane he sported, and the bright orange hair, he was something to speculate on. “And who might you be?” he asked with a smile when he laid eyes on Neopolitan. She rolled her eyes and tried to keep her expression neutral.

“She’ll be your cellmate for today. I’ll let you walk out if you can make her talk.” The man chuckled as he grabbed the only seat available, a metal stool. He dragged it in front of Neopolitan and promptly sat down with a wide smile on his face.

“Challenge accepted, old pal.” Neopolitan stared at him without a care in the world. “So, darling, tell me, what did you do to get caught in this dingy old place? Is it past your bedtime? Forget to do your homework? Didn’t go to school?” He tapped his chin tentatively. “Don’t tell me… did you  _kill_ a poor innocent man with your teeny tiny hands?” The man spoke with a teasing, almost condescending tone, but Neopolitan couldn’t stop the smirk that formed on her face. The man raised an eyebrow in curiosity. “Interesting… Tell me, angel, am I ever going to hear that little voice of yours?”

Neopolitan crossed her arm and leaned against the brick wall. The man kept tapping his chin as he looked at her. “Well, if you’re not going to speak, you’re going to force me to talk about my favorite thing. ME!” Nearby cops groaned, almost as if they’ve had to deal with this petty criminal one too many times. “My name is Roman Torchwick. I was raised in a dysfunctional home that I ran away from at age 16. I lived with friends until they kicked me out for selling their things. I lived and worked on the streets in hopes of finding someone to share feelings with. I am nothing but a victim of this society. I just want to be loved.” Neopolitan rolled her eyes at Roman. He was clearly just trying to mock her and annoy the cops.

“Tough crowd, eh?” Roman leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “I’m going to let you in on a little secret.” Neopolitan raised an eyebrow in curiosity. “Nothing can keep me caged. But only a few things can occupy so many cops at once.” Almost like magic, the scanners and phones in the police station rang at the same time over a report of a bank robbery and a high-speed chase. Neopolitan slowly formed a smile as the cops began scrambling around to join the scene. The place was emptied in seconds besides a lone cop on the other side of the room. They were left by themselves, the perfect distraction for Neopolitan’s escape. She pushed past him and began picking the lock, keeping an eye at the cop who was paying no attention to her.

Roman laughed to himself as he saw the girl’s feeble attempts. Her arms were thin enough to reach through the bars with no difficulty. Neopolitan ignored the loud man as she focused. “Seriously, kid,” the man laughed as he wiped a tear from the corner of his eye, “what the hell did you do to get in here? What could  _you_ possibly do?” Neopolitan stopped what she was doing. “Like,  _come on_ , you are so  _tiny._ What could a small thing as you possibly do to anyone?” She turned around slowly and forced her eyes to turn to pitch black to throw him off. Roman indeed took a double take when he saw the killer look in her dark eyes, eyes that a second go were bright green. “Whoa-” Before he could continue, Neopolitan was already on him, digging her fingers into his throat with all the force she could muster.

Roman was so thrown off, he could barely think to fight her off. He waved his arms around until he grabbed his cane and hit her to push her off. Neopolitan was shocked by the force for a moment, enough time for him to throw her across the cell. She fell against the bars violently, but she didn't hesitate to throw herself on Roman again. She refused to let any  _man_ call her small again, to call her weak and defenseless. Roman managed to hold his hands up to protect his neck from her, but she was still clawing at him with such ferocity. “A little help here!” Roman shouted to the useless cop. The cop finally looked up and saw what was going on and called for his partner that was positioned in the entrance of the station. They opened the cell and tried to pull her off. Roman managed to kick her across the room. She slammed against the brick wall and stopped to catch her breath.

“Just grab her!” one of them shouted. “Come on, don’t make this harder on you, girl!” They both approached her slowly, backing Neopolitan into a corner. Roman took the opportunity to grab his belongings and leave the cell. He turned to look at the girl who tried to kill him and saw her practically snarl at the guards, except no sound came out. He didn’t have much time left before his opportunity was snatched away so he was ready to leave.

“She’s just a little girl, what are we doing?” one of the men scoffed when he was tired of trying to calm the girl down. Roman turned around as he was about to head outside. Neopolitan was filled with rage again. She reached for a thin blade she kept hidden in her boot and stabbed the man underneath his jaw until the blade’s sharp end poked through the end of his skull. A grin formed on her face when his blood splashed over her. His partner screamed in terror and reached for his gun. He fired aimlessly as the girl sunk her blade into his chest. The bullet dug itself into her thigh. Neopolitan barely released a whimper as she dug her blade repeatedly into the guard’s chest, hearing him still gasp for breathes until he could no longer move. She was coated in blood, but the blood on her leg was her own. She bit her lip as she tried to stand on both legs. The pain was something she hadn’t felt in a while. She didn’t know if she should welcome it; she was tired of constantly being numb. She only felt some form of relief every time she killed someone. Her illusion shattered when the bullet hit her, so her brown and pink hair and matching eyes were visible now.

Roman had many chances to leave. Instead, he decided to watch what this little girl could do on her own. Based on first-hand experience and what he just witnessed, he knew better than to call her small in her face. Roman walked to the cell entrance and slowly entered. She was different now. And not just because her appearance was different from when he first met her, but she just held herself in a such a different way. She was filled with such violent and fierce energy. She was leaning against the wall, barely able to hold herself up with the gunshot wound in her leg. She was inspecting her wound when she realized Roman was still there. Without hesitation, she lifted her bloody blade and pointed it at him with sheer determination.

Roman instantly held his hands up in surrender. Despite having the upper hand here- she was injured and he was blocking the only exit- Roman did not want to test this girl’s abilities. “I know a survivor when I see one. I have a safe house not too far from here. I can help you with your wound so you don’t have to deal with hospitals. After that, we can part ways.” The blade in her hand was steady, but her other hand was clutching tightly onto the wound that was still gushing blood. “I could have left as soon as possible, Pink.” She frowned at that. “I don’t know your name, so I don’t know what to call you.” Neopolitan flicked her blade quickly to remove the blood before sheathing it back into her boot. She looked at Roman and gave him a nod, the simplest way to agree to his offer.

Roman took his coat off and offered it to the girl considering she was soaked in blood. She wiped herself quickly before accepting it. She gathered all the energy she could and disguised herself as a brunette with yellow eyes. Roman had many questions to ask the girl, but for now, it was better to just get out of the police station before anyone returned. She took a deep breath and tried to walk towards Roman and out of the cell, but her leg buckled underneath her when she took a step, also causing her illusion to fade. Roman reached out and grabbed her before she collapsed on the ground. Neopolitan reached for her blade in defense. “I am only trying to get us out of here. If I have to carry you, I will, but you have to trust me.” She released a sigh but didn’t make a sound to protest as Roman lifted her with ease.

“Just so you know,” he after walking through the back alleys to reach his safe house, “I just got that dry-cleaned.” Neopolitan rolled her eyes. Roman spotted people down the alley. “I’m gonna need you to stay hidden under the coat, Pink. I don’t want any unnecessary attention if we can avoid it.” She obeyed. She can’t remember the last time someone was nice to her. Neopolitan was conflicted. Her rules in the street were simple: she did what she had to do to survive and she never let anyone see her true form. Anyone who has was greeted with the sight of her blade. She knew she had to kill him, but for once, she didn’t know if she wanted to.

When Roman arrived at his safe house, he placed the girl down. He reached over to grab the keys from his coat pocket. Neopolitan had her blade in her hand and held it up to Roman’s throat when he got near her. He sighed in frustration and held his hands up in defense again. “The keys are in the inside pocket on the left side of the coat.” She didn’t move her blade as she reached to get the keys. She jingled them in her hand, waiting for him to tell her which key was used to open the door. “The red key.” She unlocked the door, not wavering her stance. She tilted her head and motioned for Roman to get inside. He walked in slowly just to make sure he didn’t startle her. He didn’t enjoy having a blade pointed at him. Neopolitan limped inside and held herself up against the wall. Roman saw how pale she had turned due to blood loss. He placed his cane and hat on a table and went to search for medical supplies. The girl quickly regained her composure and made a sound that could only be described as a threatening sigh. She didn’t have the energy to keep her semblance up, so her appearance flickered to pink and brown.

“You are losing blood. I am not here to fight you or cause any harm.” Neopolitan dropped her weapon and stumbled on the couch, propping her injured leg up. The lights seemed too bright for her now and every sound was piercing her skull. “Here, drink this.” Roman handed her a glass of whiskey. “It’ll dull the pain.” Neopolitan caught a whiff of alcohol and instantly threw it across the room. It reminded her of the way the client’s breath smelled when she was forced to be with them. Roman pinned her down by the shoulder. “This is going to hurt and I’m just trying to make it easier for you.” She still rejected the alcohol. Neopolitan leaned her head back and passed out.

Roman touched the girl’s face when she stopped moving. She was burning up. Sighing in frustration, he removed his coat off of her bloody body. He placed wet rags around her head and neck so she would cool down. While this wasn’t the ideal situation, at least Pink won’t be able to fight back. He used a pair of scissors to cut away the fabric around her bullet wound. He didn’t know how long she would stay unconscious and definitely didn’t want to guess the level of rage she would be in. He used a pair of sanitized tweezers to get the bullet out of her thigh. He wiped the area clean and held gauze on it as he got ready for the needlework. He worked carefully, but fast. There was a lot at stake. He managed to wrap the wound in gauze before he felt a kick to his face.

Neopolitan woke up when she felt a hand in her thigh. She could barely move her leg, but she felt the pain. She tried to get up to grab her blade that she foolishly left distant from her. She collapsed on the ground and tried crawling away from the man she stupidly thought could help her. “Pink! Stop, you’re going to open your stitches!” She threw a kick at him, catching him in the knees as he tried to grab her. She let small gasps out as she crawled towards her weapon was. Roman got there first and threw it across the room so she couldn’t use it on him. He towered over her and panic set in her chest. She was weak again. She felt her eyes change to white in fear. Roman held his hands up and didn’t make any sudden movements. Blood was spilling from his mouth from where he kicked her.

“You have your trick. I can only guess how powerful it is, but let me tell you my semblance. I know the probability of how an outcome will happen.” Neopolitan gasped for air and held a hand to her wound. She was barely registering that it was taped up and no longer bleeding. She just wanted to get away from the fear and panic she felt. “It’s how I knew when I would be able to escape from the cell. My henchmen were able to rob the back because the cops would be too busy with me. I knew all of them, well most of them, would go after the chase and bank robbery, which is why I knew I would have a high chance to escape. As soon as you turned around in the cell after I called you that adjective you don’t seem to like, I knew there was a chance you would attack me to the point where I wouldn’t survive. I only know right now that there’s a 60% chance you’ll kill me within the next hour. I know you just want to leave, but there’s a 25% you’ll survive if I let you leave. I know there’s a 95% chance that you don’t trust me because of something in your past.” Neopolitan hugged her knees and sobbed. She curled into herself, wishing she would just disappear. "I know any probability is skeptical and can be perceived in many ways, but I'm just trying to help you."

Roman crossed the room to pick up her blade. When she looked up, he handed the blade to her. “I am nothing more than a man of my word. I said I would help you with your wound. I don’t think you’re in the right condition to leave. The bathroom is down the hall, first door on the left. I think you should wash up. You are covered in blood. I can help you if you want, if not I will just stay here.” Roman took a seat on the couch and waited to see what the girl would do. She used the wall to prop herself up and slowly guided herself to the bathroom. “There should be clothes in there. Even if they do not fit, help yourself to anything you like.”

Neopolitan locked the door to the bathroom and collapsed on the floor from exhaustion. She was gasping and sobbing hysterically, her throat ached. Her throat burned as if any sound came out and she was tired of feeling this. She turned her blade around and held it against her wrist like she was so used to doing. As soon as the sharp blade drew blood, numbness filled her. She slid the blade against her skin several times until all she felt was empty. The blade clattered to the ground and she just sat there. She was used to feeling numb and sometimes wished something else would fill her, but the panic she felt today was a foreign and terrifying experience. After a while, she decided it was time to wash up. She discarded her bloody clothes and dragged herself into the bathtub. Despite having large sums of money, Neo did not have her own place. She lived in an abandoned building that still had running water. The closest thing to bathing is when she filled buckets of water to throw on herself every couple of days.

She was short enough to lay on the bathtub comfortably. She filled it with hot water and let it soothe her aching body as she scrubbed away all the dirt and grime. The water turned pink from all the blood that washed away. She even washed her bloody undergarments and left them out to dry. She emptied the tub and refilled it twice until there was no more blood. Then she just laid there. There was a mirror across from where she was. She formed an illusion and turned to her mother. Neopolitan’s light green eyes filled with tears and she began crying again at things she's tried so hard to forget. She let out a small gasp when Roman knocked on the door. “Pink? You’ve been in there for over two hours, are you okay? Two knocks for yes.” She knocked in response. “Alright. I just want to make sure you were okay.”

Neopolitan stayed in the tub until the water was cold. She got out and tried to stand up on two feet. It was painful but doable. She searched through the bathroom for the clothes Roman mentioned. He was at least a foot taller than her, it was a joke to even try to find any pants. She changed into her undergarments and found a long-sleeved shirt that would keep her covered- it reached below her knees- and warm. She shoved her bloody clothes into a bag and slowly limped out of the bathroom, pink and brown hair still damp, and blade in her hand. Roman was sitting on the couch. He was holding an ice pack to his cheek where Neopolitan could only assume there would be a bruise. His neck was bruised from earlier when she tried to choke him. She almost felt guilty. “Hey, there Pink.” She sat the farthest away from him. “I just want to ask a few questions to clear up some things. If you don’t like anything I ask, well, you have your blade in hand.” Neopolitan gave him a slight nod.

Roman took the ice pack off and massaged his sore jaw for a moment. “Are you mute?” Neopolitan looked down at her blade. She tried moving her lips to form words, but she barely knew how to do that. She couldn’t even form the word  _yes_ in her lips. No matter how hard she tried, she was never able to form words in her lips. “Are you just physically unable to speak? I’ve only heard you gasp or sigh and that has more to do with air than it does with making a sound.” She nodded slowly. “Do you know how to communicate in any way?” She shook her head. “You never learned sign language?” She shook her head again. “What about writing?” Neopolitan bit her nails anxiously as she thought. It had been decades since she wrote. She lifted her hand up and shook it in a  _so-and-so_ motion. “I can keep calling you Pink if you want, but you can write your name for me if you want. The choice is yours.” Neopolitan quickly shook her head. Roman respected her decision. “How old are you, Pink?” She counted her fingers off one by one until she made it to her age. “23, huh? I will tell you this; you do not look your age." He had a hint of humor in his voice, something that made Neopolitan crack the smallest of smiles. "How long have you been in the streets?” Neopolitan held up four fingers.

They remained in silence for a while. “I don’t live here, this is just a safe house like I told you. I use it when the cops get to close or if I need a break from all of the business I handle.” He reached over and grabbed his keys, removing the red key to this place. “I don’t care if you decide to stay here. There some food in the fridge. Stay as long as you like or leave as soon as you want to.” He placed the key in the coffee table between them. “I’ll stop by maybe once a week to see if you’re still around. I really mean no harm, Pink.” Roman grabbed his coat, hat, and cane and made his way to the door. He turned to look at the girl. Pink was cradling her head in her arms. The sleeves of his oversized shirt on him fell and he saw wounds there that weren’t there before. Roman sighed to himself. “Keep that wound clean.” He meant for her gunshot wound, but Pink instinctively held her injured arm closer. “Stay alive.” With a tip of his hat, Roman left the safe house.

Neopolitan really didn’t know what to do. She didn’t know what part of town she was in. Even if she decided to stay here, she didn’t want her belongings in the buildings to get stolen or thrown away. She could barely walk now, she would never be able to make the journey until her leg was fully healed. She limped to the kitchen to eat something. She was exhausted. She decided to explore her temporary home before getting some rest. She made sure the door and all the windows were locked. When she was going through his desk, she found paper and a pen. She awkwardly held the pen in her hand and tried to scribble out her name. It was a small victory, but a victory nonetheless for her. Compare to Roman’s notes, her writing looked very childlike. She tore the paper up and threw it away. The last room was the bedroom. It was small. There was a bed in one corner piled with pillows and blankets. Neopolitan was used to sleeping on the floor so any bed was an upgrade. She curled into the bed and fell asleep, blade still gripped in her hand.

Most of her day was spent reading the notes Roman had in his desk. When she got bored of that, she read the few books he had. They weren’t that interesting. There was a TV in the living room, but she barely knew how to work that. When she figured it out, she didn’t find it that entertaining. When Roman returned, she stayed hidden in the hallway. He stood in the doorway looking at Pink. “Hey, Pink.” The light was out in the hallways so she stayed in the shadows, still holding on to her blade. “Glad to see you moving around.” He had several bags with him. “You don’t have to hide.” She didn’t move from where she was. “I’m going to empty what’s in these bags on the counter so you know what’s in here.” As he emptied the bags that contained mostly food, Neopolitan approached the living room slowly. She took a seat on the couch and watched him. Roman noticed how the cuts in her arm have multiplied.

“Can I see your gunshot wound?” He immediately noticed her tense up. “I don’t need to touch you, I just want to make sure the stitches are still intact and that there’s no infection.” She looked away and nodded slowly. Roman stood in front of her and waited until she was ready. She lifted the shirt away and peeled away the gauze. He quickly looked at it before nodding at her. “Okay.” He reached into his pocket, keeping the other hand in plain sight so she would calm down or be less on edge at least. “I have something for you.” He pulled out a scroll and a book. “I know you can’t talk, but if you call me on my scroll, I’ll know that you need something and I’ll come by to help.” He placed the scroll down on the coffee table. “This book can help you with writing. I don’t know if you just can’t write well or legible or if you simply just don’t know how to write words in a sentence. It’s something simple and easy to follow. You can do whatever you want with it.” Neopolitan nodded slowly. As he did last time, he tipped his hat and told her, “Stay alive.”

At first, she didn’t care about the book. It didn’t matter. She was going to be alone for most of her life, why should she try to get people to understand her? But as the days got longer and she got bored faster, she decided to try it out. She didn’t know how long she would stay here, but so far her leg was healing nicely. The third time Roman came around, Neopolitan stayed hidden in the hallway. Roman didn’t say much, in fact, he was distracted. She watched him with cautious eyes as he placed food on the counters. The fourth time he returned, Pink waited in the hallway until he left. He tried to make some idle chat, but he only received glares from her until he left. The fifth time, she wasn’t in the hallway like usual. Roman placed the bags down and called out for her. “Pink? Are you still here?” He walked around the small place until he ended up in the bedroom.

Neopolitan was asleep, or rather, passed out. She was clutching a bottle of alcohol she decided to try out last night. She tried it out until it was empty. Roman looked around the room to find her weapon. It was at the foot of her bed. Roman knew it was risky to startle her like this, but if she didn’t have her blade, he would be mostly safe. He moved it away from her before gently shaking her awake. She scrunched her face in pain and discomfort and tried to move away from his touch. “Pink, I need to know you’re okay. Get up.” Her eyes shot wide open and panic set in when she saw him. Roman tried to move out of the way before she could lay a hit,  but he wasn’t fast enough.

Neopolitan swung her arm and hit Roman with the glass bottle she was still holding. She nicked him above his eyebrow. Roman moved out of the way as his head spun like crazy from the impact. She stumbled out of bed, unsteady on her feet from her night of drinking. She grabbed her blade and started heading towards him. She raised her blade and was ready to deliver the blow when she hesitated. Roman held a hand to cover the cut that was oozing blood, but he didn’t move to defend himself or fight her off. Neopolitan dropped the bottle and bolted out of the safe house. She could hardly run in the condition she was in. The concrete scraped her bare feet as she ran through alleys and sketchy neighborhoods.

Neopolitan was paranoid and on edge. Anyone who ran into her or even made the slightest of comments was met with her blade. It took a while to return to the abandoned building she was residing in, but she made it. She was covered in blood. She looked for her things and was relieved to see they were still here after being gone for weeks. She dropped the blade as she noticed someone had gone through her belongings. Everything was here except for the Lien she had saved up. She sighed and collapsed on the pile of blankets she called a bed. This is what she got for staying in a strange man’s place.

Most of the food she had here was either eaten by rats or expired. She would have to return to her previous habits. But she was just so tired right now. She fell asleep, blade in hand as usual. She didn’t search for food until a few days later when she could no longer tolerate the dull pain in her stomach. She disguised herself and walked a few streets down. Normally she would mug someone of their possessions and use that money to buy food, but right now she didn’t have any patience. She waited until she found someone who already had food with them. When she found a couple walking with takeout, she began to follow them. It took a few streets until she found the right moment to thrust her blade to the man’s back. His partner dropped the bag of food she was holding and screamed into her hand in horror. Neopolitan kicked the bag out of the way and thrust the blade into the woman’s throat. She collapsed and choked on her own blood. Neopolitan quick checked for their wallets and took any money she could find before grabbing her meal and heading back home.

She learned a long time ago that beggars can’t be choosers. The meal wasn’t the best, but Neopolitan was starving, so she finished it all. It was like that for weeks. She would kill anyone she would normally just mug and get away with. When she noticed more police in the streets, she decided she had to choose what would happen next. She could stay here or skip towns. She wasn’t too concerned over the police finding her. Sure they grabbed her, but she was in disguise. She did go on a killing spree after running away from Roman’s place, but there was nothing that could be pinned on her. She sighed and shook her head.  _Roman_. He was the reason she wanted to skip town. He knew who she was, even if he didn’t know her name, he saw her true form. He saw her at one of her lowest points, he saw  _her_. The small weak thing she's tried so hard to hide. It was time to leave. She was packing her things in a bag when she heard someone enter her building.

Roman entered the abandoned building slowly. This was the third abandoned building he had visited today. He didn’t know why he was still looking for Pink, but he just had a feeling he needed to find her. He pushed the rats out of the way with his cane as he searched the building. He was taken by surprise when someone shoved him but wasn’t shocked to see Pink holding a blade to his throat. Recognition flashed through her eyes but she didn’t remove the blade. “Hello, Pink. I see you haven’t changed a bit.”  She pushed the blade sharper against his throat. “Straight to business. Alright then. How are you doing?” The look in her face was clear.  _How did you find me?_

“Well, you left a trail of bodies for me to follow,” he simply answered. “The last one was practically in your doorstep.” She let out a small sigh. “I’m a gambling man, Pink. I’ve had my fair share of living on the streets. I’ve dealt with criminals and thieves and murderers. I’ve seen the worst of the worst and I’ve pushed past that to get where I am now.” Roman reached into his coat pocket slowly and pulled out the writing book he had gifted her. She left it behind. Her eyes grew wide and she took a step back. She let her arm fall to her side, freeing Roman from the blade’s confinement. “I’ve heard many backstories, Pink. All of them lead someone to where they are in life and what they do. All of them explain why a person does what they do.”

Neopolitan looked smaller than ever as Roman spoke. She gripped the blade rightly to hide the tremble in her hand.  _That stupid book_. “I wasn’t going to look for you, I told you that I only wanted to help you. When I read the book, I decided that someone with that much pain and loneliness shouldn't be by themselves.” He took a seat on the floor, pushing away the thought of how dirty his coat will get. When she sat across from him, he put the book in between them. The book helped her plenty. She wrote her name and private information in it. She practiced tracing letters and making them legible to form words and sentences. She learned about spelling and grammar, things she never thought she would get excited for. When the lessons ended all was left was lined paper in the last pages, Neopolitan wrote everything she could remember since she was a child.

She wrote about how much she missed her mother, how she never had a proper relationship with her father. She wrote about how she unlocked her semblance, the adventures she had when she snuck out after discovering her gift. She wrote in vivid detail of what her father forced her to do for years. She wrote about the numbness she always felt, how it was rare for her to show emotion. She wrote about what it felt when she killed for the first time and how it was an emotional release each time after. She wrote everything down. It was stupid for her to write all of that.

“Pink,” Roman said in a quiet voice. She scowled and pointed at the book. Roman smiled slightly at her. “I’ll call you by your real name only if you want me to. I know you wrote about how much you hated men saying your name.” She didn’t react. She didn’t know  _how_ to react. “I very rarely help others unless I have something to gain. I helped you those months ago because I saw that you were trying to survive. I’ve been in your shoes. I certainly haven’t dealt with anything as horrid as you have, but I’ve gone through my own trauma.” He leaned forward slightly. “And I’ve gotten my revenge.” Something in her eyes changed. She’s always wanted revenge, but she knew it wasn’t something she could plan or do on her own.

_Why_? Roman easily read her eyes. “I’ve done terrible things. I’ve helped people do terrible things. But I don’t do it simply because I can.” Roman looked at the young girl in front of him. Most of her scars were her own doing, but the scars he couldn’t see were the worst ones she bore. “And trust me when I say this, I  _really_ despise people who abuse their power. I’m the person hired to take them out.” She placed the blade in her lap and twiddled with her thumbs instead. “I can help you get revenge.” Her eyes lit up. “I know you have some handiness with that blade of yours, but I think you’ll need formal training. I can help you. I ask nothing in return." He paused and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I would like to be there when it happens.” Neopolitan’s lips moved into a deadly smile.

“So, what do you say… Neo?” Her smile didn’t waver as she stuck her hand out to him. Roman graciously shook it. “I do have to say we might have to leave town. Between our jailbreak, the dead cops, and your little kill spree, the cops will be on us the second they see us.” Neopolitan simply changed her appearance in response. Roman chuckled at her. “Not all of us have the same abilities. Vale is a big city. We can get away with a lot and I’ll have new business opportunities there.” Neo ran her fingers against the edge of her blade. Placed his cane across his lap to mimic how she was it. “You should probably get a new weapon. Something that is easily concealable.” She cocked her head to the side in confusion.

Roman smirked slightly as he flipped his cane over and shot out the grappling hook to a bag he spotted across the room. He dragged it towards where they were sitting. “And it’s also a gun.” Neopolitan’s smile grew wide. Roman stood up and dusted his coat off. “I’m assuming you’re packed already?” She gave him a small nod in response. “Let’s get to it.” They walked out together. Her hair was black and her eyes purple. She even transformed her clothes into something that didn’t identify her as a street rat. “That is a neat trick of yours, Pink, I will give you that.” Neopolitan frowned in response. “Was it something I said?” She nodded. “Do you want me to call you Neopolitan?” She shook her head rapidly. “Was Neo okay?” She thought about it for a long time before nodding slowly. “Alright, Neo. Let’s go to Vale.”


	3. One and the Same

Neo and Roman took the train to Vale. He didn't want to deal with other people, so he rented a cart so they can have their privacy. The ride would have gone without any trouble until someone made a remark about Neo’s height. Roman witnessed how fast her calm demeanor changed after the waitress opened her mouth. Roman was simply trying to order champagne for the two of them in their private cart, but the waitress was a dumbass who didn’t know any better. “You want me to believe _she’s_ of drinking age? Look at how small she is! She’s practically a child.”

“Lady, I shouldn’t tell you how to do your job. She’s my business associate and is very much of drinking age. Some people are just not tall. Can you just bring us our champagne?” The waitress rolled her eyes and left the cart. Neo’s entire mood had changed. She was continuously tapping her fingers against her knee. Roman was talking about how he could train her and what they should start with, but she wasn’t really paying attention. When the waitress returned with their bottle of champagne and two glasses, she kept running her mouth.

“If my boss comes around and sees this, I hope you have an ID for your friend. This bottle is going under your name.” Roman waved the woman away.

“I would rather not have to jump out of a moving train if possible,” he remarked when Neo stood up. She gave him a smirk over her shoulder before leaving the cart. Neo easily followed the waitress, even changed her clothes to look like the uniform she was wearing. She followed her into a back room where they stored the alcohol. Neo quickly went inside and locked the door. The waitress turned around in surprise.

“Who are you?” she asked in surprise. Neo smiled at her as she changed her eyes to black. The waitress dropped the tray she was holding in shock and backed herself into a corner, falling down on her knees when she couldn’t go any farther. “Please, what is this about?” Neo sauntered over slowly until she was towering over her. Neo leaned over and grabbed the handle of her blade hidden inside her boot. She gave the crying waitress a wink before slitting her throat in one quick motion. The woman gagged and gasped for air as blood poured everywhere. Neo didn’t stop there, she continuously stabbed her until she stopped moving.

It took her a while to stuff the body in the icebox in the room and a little longer to get the blood cleaned off of her skin, but soon she was walking out of there with a bottle of champagne. Neo took a seat, a smile plastered on her face. “Anything I should be worried about?” She shook her head. Roman poured a glass for her. “Neo, are you interested in learning anything else? I have a wide knowledge and people who work for me all over.” She shrugged. She agreed to train with Roman, but she knew at any second she could kill him. It was a matter of time before she chose to leave.

When they arrived at Vale, they decided to leave the station before anyone found Neo’s surprise. “Do you care about where we live?” Neo adjusted her backpack and didn’t form a response. “What is it?” Neo sighed and looked down at the alley they just walked by. “No.” Neo glared at him instantly. “I’m not going to let you live on the streets.” She pulled her blade out. “I can afford to get a place for both of us. You can continue your life as a pickpocketer and part-time murderer if that’s what you want to, but I don’t want you to live on the streets. I want to help you, Neo.” In response, she sheathed her weapon. Together they walked to the shady part of town, somewhere they would find an affordable apartment and where they would find plenty of business.

The place was small but fully furnished. Working fridge, running water, and two bedrooms where they could have their own privacy. “Take your pick, Neo.” She looked at each room and decided she wanted the one with no windows. She placed her bag down and pulled out her blade. Roman leaned against her doorway and watched as she cleaned it. She killed no less than five people while they walked around the city. Roman didn’t intervene or try to stop her. After all, she did earn a good amount of Lien. “Let’s talk about your training.”

For months, they trained in the roof of the building they lived in. Mostly at Night so no one would bother them. Neo soon learned it was easier for her to dodge Roman’s attacks than to try to hold him off with her own hits. Her semblance got stronger with practice. She left behind images of herself to throw off her opponents to attack from another side. She could make her illusions take hits. When he grew tired of pointless attacks, Neo took advantage until he was pinned down. She was fast and smart. She used her height, or lack of height, as an advantage. When she basically won every fight against Roman, he needed to find a new way to challenge her. He would hire people to fight her, five at a time even, and without fault, she would destroy each of them. Roman had to intervene a few times to make sure she didn’t kill them.

It took a long time for Neo to trust Roman. She had no problem getting along with him when they were training, but as soon as they were back in the apartment, Neo would retreat to her bedroom. She would grab food and eat it in her room. Roman didn’t push her on joining him, but he did try to be nice to her. It was weeks until she emerged from her room. Roman was cooking dinner-something he usually doesn’t do but an exciting business deal happened and it was time to celebrate- when Neo came out and sat on the breakfast bar. He tried to hide his smile so he wouldn’t scare her away, but he was glad to see her out of her room. It took a couple more days until she joined him again and weeks after that, but now they ate most meals together. She was still reserved, but he slowly began to find out what she likes to do. He brings her books almost every other week. She never asked him too, but she appreciated the lengths he took to make sure she was comfortable and happy. Neo cared about Roman, she practically owed him her life. She stopped thinking about killing him a long time ago. Now she thought of who she would have to kill if anyone tried to hurt him.

Neo stopped mugging when she realized it would be much easier to kill someone for their money. When that got boring, she started robbing stores and banks by herself just to get a thrill. When _that_ got boring, she asked Roman if she could join him in his business meetings. He could have easily said yes. Working by himself was always a challenge, but he refused her offer. “You’re a killing machine, Neo, but you only know how to kill by yourself. If you’re going to be my partner, then you’re going to have to learn how to fight and work with me by your side.” She didn’t like that answer, so she sulked in her room for the rest of the week.

When Neo stopped sulking, she joined Roman for dinner. He was pouring out a glass of scotch for himself. Neo frowned; he rarely drank strong liquor unless he was really stressed. She sat next to him on the couch, they're arms touching each other. Neo and Roman were as thick as thieves, quite literally. They took care of each other. When business was slow for Roman, Neo took to the streets to get as much Lien as possible. She slowed down on her killing unless she _really_ couldn’t help it. Roman didn’t care for the people she killed, but it made the police more suspicious and patrolled more often, and it was difficult to get away with things. Neo and Roman had a system that worked out for them.

“It’s been over a year, you know.” Neo nodded slowly. “I promised you I would let you get your revenge. You've trained as much as you could. I think we should focus on getting your revenge before you decide to join the criminal world.” Neo looked away. She pulled her arms up to move her hair out of her face. Roman sighed as he looked at her arms. He gently grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him. She didn’t bother to stop him as he lifted her sleeves to look at the cuts she recently added. Roman sighed again and gently ran his fingers over the raised skin. “Neo, we’ve talked about this.” She rolled her eyes. While it was hard to avoid, she really hated those types of phrases. She _couldn’t_ talk. “Okay, yes, _I_ talked about this. But you agreed you would stop doing this. I asked you to come to me any time you got these urges.” Neo tried to pull her arms away, but he held on tightly. Before she grew to care about Roman, she would have destroyed him for even touching her, now she just tried to hide herself from his disappointed gaze. “Was it because of me?”

Neo shook her head rapidly in response. He has never done anything to lose her trust. Roman kept brushing his thumb over the new cuts. Tears poured out of her eyes so he brought her into his arms. He held her tightly as she sobbed into his chest. Roman brushed her colorful hair out of her face and wiped her tears away. The walls were thin; he’s woken up many times to her desperate gasps as she woke up crying from her nightmares. Whether it was from living on the streets or dealing with the trauma her father caused her, the nightmares came almost every night. The first couple of months, he listened until she fell back asleep. He read her book, he knew exactly what happened to her, but he didn't know if Neo would want his company. When her cries went on for hours night after night, Roman checked on her and found her bleeding after she cut herself. He didn’t tell her to stop, but he tried to be there more often for her every time she woke up from her night terrors.

Neo wrapped her arms around Roman’s neck and buried her head in his shirt. “Are the nightmares keeping you up again?” She nodded in response. “I think as soon as you get revenge on those scumbags, it’ll be easier to move on. I know it’s not my place to tell you how to deal with these things, but I don’t like seeing these cuts on you.” She pulled away and wiped her tears away. “What do you say?” She nodded slowly. “Okay. Let’s get to work.” He tried to get up to find his scroll, but Neo grabbed his arm and kept him in the couch. He frowned at her and tried to remember if he left any question unanswered. “What is it, Neo?” She gestured between them. Roman shook his head, not understanding what she was trying to say. She grabbed her scroll and typed a quick message.

_I want to fight with you._ He read the message twice to make sure he understood what she was trying to stay. “Even if you don’t join the criminal world?” She nodded. “Okay. I have one request though.” She cocked her head to the side and waited for him to continue. He took his hat off and placed it on her. “I have a sense of style and your t-shirt and jeans are just not gonna catch up with me, Pink.” Neo rolled her eyes, but a smile cracked on her face. Her eyes were still shining from her tears, but seeing her smile made Roman happy. “I know this is something you’re comfortable with, but I refuse to be associated with someone who doesn't understand fashion.” He poked her nose before standing up. “And we also need to complete your weapon.”

Neo knew she wanted something similar to Roman’s cane. “I think by finding the right outfit, you’ll be able to match your weapon easier.” She agreed to go shopping with him. It was one of his favorite things to do, oddly enough. As she walked out of the apartment, Neo changed her hair to brown. “Neo, you don’t have to hide yourself all the time. You attack in disguise, nobody here knows what you look like.” She blinked and changed her eyes to a bright shade of pink. “Only I know what you look like, what are you scared of?” She looked away and nervously picked at the cuts in her arm. Roman reached over and held her hand to get her to stop. She snatched it away in shock. “I won’t ever leave your side. If any of those men recognize you and try to do anything to you, they will be met with the end of my cane and your blade to their throat.”

In a spur of a moment, Neo gave Roman a quick hug. She wasn’t affectionate, or rather didn’t know how to be without getting nervous, but hugging Roman calmed her down. She definitely wasn’t like this in public. Roman was taken aback but still returned her hug. “Alright, let’s go. Do as you want with your looks. You’re your own person.” Neo smiled and slightly caved in; her eyes changed to the lighter pink one of them usually was in. It was not much, but it still caused Roman to smile.

It took a long time to find something Neo was comfortable with wearing. She refused to wear dresses or skirts. It would be impossible to fight comfortably in them. She never thought she would like to wear heels, but she found a perfect pair of white heeled boots. Roman knew better than to make a comment on her height. She walked up to him and smiled. She enjoyed the five added inches of height, even if it would take some used to walking around them. Roman grinned down at her and approved of the boots. “Just remember you have to fight in those.” She rolled her eyes and kept looking for clothes. He liked watching her choose. It made him happy to see she was embracing her natural pink, brown, and white colors. She found pants easily but was torn on a top. She kept trying on different styles and walked out to hear Roman’s opinion. While she changed, he searched for a coat that would look good on her. He added it to her rack when she wasn’t looking.

When Neo turned to look at Roman, both of them were sharing a grin. The white tailcoat with pink lining flattered her well and complemented Roman’s own coat. The brown pants and matching corset when a stark contrast against the light coat. She wore black gloves, smart enough to know that fingerprints can be traced. She looked up at him and waited for him to say something. He hummed and analyzed the outfit. “I think it’s missing something…” Roman pulled out a necklace from his pocket and placed it on her neck. Neo smiled at him as he fastened the necklace in place. She touched the multiple beads and looked at him with grateful eyes.

“They’re all different, like you.” Roman tipped his hat slightly. “I like it. Do you?” She gave him a firm nod. They stared at each other for a while. Roman’s semblance worked in strange ways. He could guess the probability of anything that affected him. It wasn’t always reliable, and sometimes he could focus it on one object, but it took an immense amount of work that could have been for nothing. Last year when he shook hands with the strange mute girl who has threatened him multiple times, he felt something. There have been few times when his semblance gave him a complete probability of anything. When he shook Neo’s hand, he knew there was a 100% chance she would change his life. Roman chuckled to himself and wrapped an arm around Neo’s shoulders. “Let’s go design your weapon.”

Designing her weapon wasn’t that difficult. It was just figuring out how to make it work with her fighting style. Roman’s cane was straight forward; he could shoot out of it and easily hit people if needed. He always attacked first. Neo was different, she dodged blows and waited for openings to deliver her blows. And of course, her blade had to be included. Her blade kept her safe in the streets and it's what keeps her calm. When her parasol was ready, she was so happy to have it. She kept it close to her all the time. To mess with Roman, she would mimic how he walked with his cane using her parasol. She knew she looked similar to Roman, but she didn’t really care. She was glad her outfit and parasol matched his. 

They trained together as soon as everything was ready. After months of training her, Roman knew how she moved. The problem was finding a way they would both flow easily without running into each other or in a way that their attacks would contradict each other. They practiced attacking dummies and people who would bet against them to fight. When people got tired of losing their money and being beaten within an inch of their life, they hired hitmen on themselves solely so they could fight them off. They trained until every move came as second nature. Roman didn’t like to lose and Neo would never let anyone beat her. They were unstoppable. His business partners knew to be careful around him; wherever he was, Neo was sure to be near. They didn’t want to fight against a man and his killing machine 


	4. Partners in Crime

Roman had contacts in all over Remnant. He made a couple of calls from associates he knew in Anima and found out Neo’s father was still running the brothel with other girls in Mistral. Neo didn’t just want to destroy her father, she wanted to kill anyone who ever laid a hand on her. Roman wasn’t going to stop her fun. She’d been working for days on remembering names and trying to identify them on the pictures Roman showed her. Sometimes she left and hid in her room for hours. When she came back, her eyes were red and puffy, but she kept going at it. She dropped her pen in frustration and rubbed her face. Ruman rushed to her side and sat next to her on the couch.  _ There’s so many of them. _ There were too many faces and memories. She buried away many of them and trying to dig them all out was a challenge and it physically hurt her.

“Hey, there.” Roman placed a hand between her shoulder blades and rubbed the area gently to calm her down. “We can take a break. You don’t have to figure them all out immediately. I know this has to be bringing up a lot of memories.” She burst into tears and covered her face. He pulled her into his arms to comfort, but she only pushed him away and ran into her bedroom. She locked it before Roman could follow her inside.

“Neo, please,” he begged through the door. “Just talk to me- no,  _ I’m sorry _ \- but please, let’s just figure this out.” Through the door, he could hear the small gasps she did when she cried. “Neo.” She threw a book at the door so he would go away. “You don’t have to deal with this by yourself.” He went to his bedroom in defeat when she refused to let him in.

When Neo knew he was gone, she dressed and grabbed her weapon. She ran out of the apartment before Roman could catch her. She spent the night wandering around town in disguise, her hair dark and her eyes yellow. Her scroll was buzzing with Roman's frantic messages, but she ignored him. She just wanted to forget about everything right now. She found a small bar with no more than ten people drinking. Neo sat and motioned for a bartender to come over. She scribbled on a napkin what she wanted. This bar was so shady that they didn’t bother to ask for her ID like the other bars normally would. As Roman told her once, she didn't look her age.

She was on her third drink when someone sat next to her. The man reeked of stale beer and failed relationships. She rolled her eyes as he tried to talk to her. “Can I buy you a drink, darling?” He kept talking despite making it obvious how much she was trying to ignore him. Neo tossed some Lien to the bartender and decided to call it a night. She didn't have the patience for insolent men. She was ready to come out the door when he called out to her again. “I thought you would be small, but damn,  _ that  _ small? I bet if you take off those heels, you would be such a  _ tiny _ thing.” Neo froze in place. “I like things that are tiny and delicate. They’re so sensitive and easy to use. How about I teach you a thing or two?” Neo closed the door and locked it. With a place like this, it would surely be the only exit.

She twisted the parasol in her arm and clicked a button to eject the hidden blade from the top of the weapon. Before anyone realized what she was doing, she threw the blade at the closest person. The woman fell against the wall as the blade etched itself on the wall. In an instant, everyone reacted. Neo was blocking the only exit so they would have to pass through her if they wanted to get out. She wasn’t going to let that happen. She wasn’t surprised when people pulled out guns to defend themselves, but that what her parasol was for. She easily blocked the hit and aimed at the person when they were thrown off. She jumped off walls and kicked people who got in her way. She pulled the handle of her parasol and released her hidden blade so she could block and attack at the same time. People were no longer trying to fight her, they were just trying to save themselves. Neo killed everyone until the man that was hitting on her was the only one alive.

He was backed into a corner, too drunk to be able to fight her. “You…” he whispered in horror. She slowly walked up to him. “You can’t be her.” She narrowed her eyes as she got closer. His whimpers were met with the tip of her blade. “Neopolitan?” Her eyes flew wide and she almost dropped her blade in horror. Her lips parted in confusion. “Your father said you went missing. He claimed you were dead.” Rage filled Neo. She kicked the man in the head to knock him out. Neo tied him to a chair while he was unconscious. She went behind the bar and grabbed a bottle of vodka. She drank straight from the bottle as she texted Roman the address to the bar. It didn’t take long for him to respond. Most of the bottle was gone by the time he showed up. Neo had briefly explained what happened at the bar with the shady guy who recognized her while Roman walked to the bar.

Roman walked through the door and found Neo perched on the bar, one knee propped up and the other leg dangling freely. He first noticed the bottle of alcohol in her hand before seeing all the blood on her. “You forgot to mention this little detail, Neo,” Roman sighed as he saw the bodies around the dingy place. He shut the door and made sure the blinds were shut. She smirked and shook her head as she took another drink. He tried to step in places not covered in blood, but it was almost impossible. He gave up and joined her in the bar. “You can’t just run away and kill people.” 

_ Watch me _ , her smirk said. He tried to take the bottle from her, but she reached for her parasol. He placed a hand on her cheek instead and shook his head lightly. “Are you hurt?” A quick shake of the head was her response and he felt the knot in his stomach ease up. Roman looked at the man she tied up. “What do you want me to do with him?” Neo chugged the rest of her bottle before throwing it against the wall. The shattering sound woke him up. “Interrogate him?” Neo nodded as she jumped off the bar. Roman pulled her into a tight hug. She didn't hug him back, just went limp in his arms. He kissed the top of her head and pulled away. "I'm always here for you, Neo. Don't run off again." She didn't react, only walked to the back, presumably to a bathroom where she would soon throw up the alcohol she just drank. 

“Alright then,” Roman said nonchalantly as he approached the man. He was trying to free himself from his restraints, but his attempts were useless. Neo was a woman with many capabilities, one of which included tying the right knot to hold someone hostage. “How about you start with a name?”

“Who are you? What freak kink do you have with that bitch?” Roman’s carefree demeanor changed the second the man talked about Neo. He hit him across the face with his cane. The man howled in pain. Roman pushed the man’s chin back with the tip of his cane.

“I have had an eventful day,” Roman spat angrily, “and can only assume it will be followed by an eventful night. You are going to answer my questions. If you do as I say, I’ll let you live.” He hit him one more time to get his message across. “Got it?”

“Name’s Fang,” he answered, spitting blood out. “All I did was hit on your girl, what’s her problem?” Roman rolled his eyes, impatient, and hit the man again. “I get it if she’s your bitch, but maybe you should keep her on a tighter leash.”

“Pal, I suggest you answer as fast as you can before she gets back.” Roman dragged a chair in front of him. “How do you know Neopolitan?” Fang spat at Roman’s shoes. He flinched away when Roman raised his cane.

“Okay, okay,” he said before Roman could hit him. “I knew her father. There aren’t many people with brown and pink hair.” Roman slammed the end of his cane on Fang’s foot.

“That’s what you get for spitting at me.” He did the same to his other foot. “And that’s what you get for bad mouthing Neo.” He whacked the shaft of his cane across the man’s knees. “And that’s because I don’t like how you talk about her. If I were you, I would be much more careful about how you address her.” Roman leaned forward on the chair. “You saw Neopolitan and immediately decided to hit on her knowing who she was?” He shook his head. “Then explain, dumbass, because this isn’t looking good for you.”

“She had black hair when I saw her sitting in the bar. She dropped her illusion when she was fighting.” Neo returned from the bathroom and returned to the bar. She tripped as she walked, but that didn't stop her from grabbing another bottle of alcohol. She sat on the bar and watched Fang and Roman with hawkeyes. The dead look in Neo’s colorful eyes was enough for Roman to know the story. He was one of the clients she was forced to be with.

“How do you know Neopolitan?” Roman repeated in a cautious voice.

“I already told you-” Roman punched him in the nose to stop him from talking.

“You either talk or I make you talk.” He stood up and yanked the Fang’s hair to expose his throat. “And I have many tricks up my sleeve. The truth. _Now_.”

“Her father,” Fang spluttered out. “Runs… a business.” Roman elbowed him in the throat. Fang choked and struggled to breathe. He coughed for a few minutes before being able to breathe and speak properly. “He runs a brothel! I paid my way inside and became a customer. Neopolitan happened to be...” Neo slammed her bottle against the bar hard enough to shatter it. She charged at Fang with the sharp end. Roman grabbed her before she could injure him past interrogation or even kill him. He twisted her arm to force her to drop her makeshift weapon. In a stable condition, she should be able to fight him off, but she was drunk and emotional right now to do much but give in to his hold.

“We can get information out of him,” Roman gently whispered in her ear as he held her tightly so she couldn’t fight him. Not that she was going to, she collapsed against his chest in defeat. “I promise I’m not going to let him get away what he did to you.” She returned to the bar to replace the bottle she shattered. “Please stop drinking.” Her response was to throw a bottle in his general direction. Roman sighed in defeat as she grabbed something for herself. “I wouldn’t mind a martini.” He meant it as a joke and was glad to see the small smile form on her lips.

“What did you do to Neopolitan?” Roman asked, pointing the end of his cane at him. Fang was bleeding and crying. Roman shoved the cane against his chest to force him to talk.

“Please,” he begged, “I’m different now, I- I’m different now, I made mistakes. I’m not the same anymore.” Roman hit him with his cane twice. “I paid to sleep with her!” he finally shouted. “I paid a lot. Choc told us about her abilities and I paid for her to look a certain way.”

“You’re a sick fuck,” Roman hissed as he elbowed him in the face. “She was a child. She was forced to do that and you willingly paid her  _ father _ for it.” He had Neo’s parasol hooked on his belt so she wouldn’t use it on herself or anyone. He removed the blade and strategically cut Fang in the chest.

“I didn’t know,” Fang sobbed through his screams. “I didn’t know she was his kid. There were only rumors. It’s what made her more appealing to us.” Roman punched him in the face again. “I’m sorry, what more do you want from me?!” Roman kept hitting him in the face. “Choc said she was a freak! We just took what he offered!”

“How is Choc running his business now?” When Fang took too long to answer, Neo stormed up to the pair of men. She snatched the blade from Roman and swiftly cut off one of his fingers. Fang screamed in pain. Her face was emotionless as she got ready to cut another one off. Fang quickly answered through his pain.

“He takes girls from the streets. It’s business as usual, but sometimes he holds parties where he invites most of his clients and bids of the new girls to the highest bidder.” Roman grabbed the blade from Neo in case she decided to stab Fang. “He hosts them on the third Saturday of each month.” Neo returned to her seat in the bar. “Please, I gave you all you want. Just let me go. You said you would let me go.” Roman locked eyes with the girl across the room. She didn’t break eye contact as she drank from her bottle.  _ Make him suffer _ , her eyes read, but they also said  _ I’m so tired. _

Roman leaned close until his mouth was next to Fang’s ear. “You paid to make her scream,” he hissed, remembering what Neo wrote about in the book that wasn't meant for his eyes. “I’ll let you walk out if you can stay silent.” He cut off Fang’s fingers one by one. Of course the man couldn’t stay silent; he screamed in agony as Roman continued his torture. He kept going when all the fingers were missing, slowly, until Neo finished her bottle. Fang was bleeding and could barely keep his head up. “Neo, if you would.” She joined Roman’s side and took the blade in her hand as if it was an extension of her arm. The hand that held her blade was stable, but her free hand was trembling. Roman reached over and held it tightly to comfort her. She returned the gesture instead of pulling away.

“Your father was right," Fang whimpered, blood dribbling down his lip. "You can’t be human.” After that, Neo drove the blade straight through his throat. A sickening smile formed on her face as she watched the man choke on his own blood. She removed it with a quick flick but soon plunged it in the man’s chest until she felt a calmness inside her, until her hands no longer shook. She wiped the blade clean and returned it to its place in her parasol. Roman placed a hand on her shoulder. 

“Let’s go home, Neo.” Easier said than done. Neo grabbed another bottle for herself and drank it as they walked back to their apartment. Both of them were covered in blood, it wasn’t like they could call a taxi. Neo was also unstable on her feet, but she refused to give Roman the bottle of rum she had taken for herself. He held her hand so she wouldn’t stray far and to be there every time she stumbled. Neo didn't recoil from his touch, she encouraged it. It took them an hour, but soon they were in their apartment. Neo dumped her empty bottle on the floor and went to rummage through Roman’s alcohol cabinet. He quickly picked up her parasol and kept it hidden before approaching her. “Neo, I think you’ve had enough to drink.” He placed his hands on her shoulders to turn her around.

Neo wanted to fight him off, but instead, she found herself pulling him down to meet his lips with hers. Roman was too surprised to move. He was expecting her to hit him or potentially run off again, not this. Neither of them moved, but soon Neo found herself wrapping her arms around his neck and tried to move her lips with his. Roman slowly placed his hands on her hips and kissed her back. He didn’t know how much he wanted this until he felt her lips on his. He placed a hand on the back of her head and kissed her back eagerly. “No,” he muttered when he realized the situation and pushed himself away. “You’re drunk and just not in the right place right now. I can’t take advantage of you like this.” Her response was to wrap her arms tighter around him and to kiss him again.  _ I want this _ , she was clearly trying to tell him. Roman was lost by how soft her lips felt, how fiercely she moved them with his. He pushed her away gently. “It’s time to go to bed.”

Neo didn’t know if she felt more hurt or confused, but she released Roman from her hold and stumbled into her room. He quickly followed her when she fell against the wall over her clumsy feet in high heels. He held her by the shoulders and directed her to her bed. She collapsed almost immediately. Roman sighed and helped her out of her shoes and coat. Neo grabbed him by his scarf and tugged him down to her lips. He fell on top of her and she didn's seem to mind. She was more persistent, her lips and tongue desperate for a reaction from him. She smiled when a gasp escaped his lips. “Neo,” he mumbled against her lips. She didn’t stop from kissing him. He pulled himself into a sitting position, but Neo held on tightly to him so she came up with him, now straddling his hips. Another gasp escaped his lips as she continued to kiss him. She pressed herself closer to him.

“Stop,” he said more sternly. Neo stared at him with wide eyes. “It shouldn’t be like this.” He placed her aside and stood up. “You’re not okay right now. I don’t want this to be something you regret.” She kept her head down. Roman sighed and leaned over to press a kiss to her forehead. “We can talk about this tomorrow if you want. Right now you need sleep.” He left her bedroom and went to his own. The sun would rise any minute now, but Roman assumed Neo would sleep through most of the day. He might too. He changed and got ready for bed. It was hours later when he woke up to someone opening his door. He yawned and rubbed his eyes. The light from his window told him it was high noon, but his body said he should still be asleep. Neo was in an oversized t-shirt. From here he could tell that she’s been crying. 

“Neo? What is it, what is it a nightmare?” She rubbed her eye and nodded in response. “Do want to talk about it?” She shook her head. “Come here.” She practically ran into his opened arms and buried her face in his neck. Roman fell back on his bed and held her in his arms. He liked that she was small, he liked the way he could hold her and she would fit perfectly in his arms. He never saw her as weak. Hell, the first day they met she bruised his neck and nearly dislocated his jaw. Neo cried quietly into the crook of his neck. He felt her tears pool in his skin. "I'm here, Neo, I'll always be here,"  Roman muttered sleepily. He ran his fingers through her hair and calmed her down until she fell back asleep. They stayed in bed for most of the day sleeping in each other's arms. She got up several times to throw up, but each time she returned, Roman was there to hold her until she fell asleep again.

Roman properly woke up before Neo did. He could still smell the alcohol in her breath. He brushed her hair out of her face gently, causing her to shift slightly in discomfort. He tried to ignore the feeling of her bare leg rubbing against his leg. He was only in a pair of shorts. “Neo,” he whispered, his breath fanning her eyelashes. They slowly fluttered open. “I think we overslept.” She shifted again and buried her head in his chest.  _ I don’t wanna get up _ . He released a short breath and placed a kiss on her temple. “I’m going to make us something to eat.” He tried to get up, but she held him down. He laughed slightly and untangled her arms from him. Her colorful hair hid most of her face, but Roman saw the grin she had. “I’m starving, Neo. You have to eat something, too. I'll be in the kitchen if you need anything.”

It was easy to cook pasta for the two of them. Neo joined him a few minutes later, still in her oversized shirt. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun and she looked refreshed despite last night's events. She sat on the counter and watched him cook. She never learned so most of the meals came from him. Roman smiled at her and poured the spaghetti in bowls. “Are you just going to sit there and watch?” She reached her hand out. Roman held it and got closer to her. “Neo, I really don’t want to do anything unless you’re sure you want this..” She bit her lip and looked down. “I know you haven’t really been with anyone. You've been hurt.” Her hands began shaking in his. He held them tightly and glanced at them as he spoke. “If I’m going to be your first, it’s going to be hard. There are things that we don’t know about that could affect you. It will be a process and I just want to make sure you’re okay with going through that. I won't do anything you don't want to do.”

Neo leaned forward and kissed him. This time Roman didn’t move away. He encouraged the kiss and even ran her fingers through her hair. Neo let a small gasp out as Roman kept kissing her passionately. “Are you sure this is what you want?” he whispered in her ear. She nodded in response. “Okay,” he said and pulled back. “Let’s eat.” They sat on the couch together. Roman tried to hide his smug smile when he noticed how flustered Neo was. It was hard to throw Neo off guard and he was glad he was able to do it with something as simple as a kiss. She was still blushing, nearly as pink as her hair.

“I think we need to talk about what happened last night?” Neo raised her eyebrows in confusion. “The bar.” She looked away. “Neo, you can’t just do things like that. I’m assuming there were no survivors, but you’re not always going to get that lucky. I know planning for revenge is hard for you, but I think Fang made it easier for us. We know when they’ll be meeting up as a group again. They’ll be in one place and it’ll be easier to attack them.” Neo began picking at her cuts. He reached out and held her hands. He glanced at her wrists, happy to see she didn’t have new ones from last night. 

“I have an idea how we could ambush them, but it’ll involve some things you might not be comfortable with.” She let out a deep breath before he continued. “In less than 2 weeks, your father will be holding another one of his parties. I think he’ll be very interested if I tell him I have a girl like no other." Neo frowned and began pulling her hands away. "A girl… with the ability to change herself.” She stood up and went to her room. Roman stood in the doorway before she could close the door. She sat on her bed and kept her head down, hands hiding her face. “Please, let me finish." She didn't look up but only nodded in response. "I’ll tell him I’ll bring you to the party. I’ll choose a room that has entrance and exit that I’ll be guarding. I’ll check everyone in the room to make sure they don’t have any weapons. Doors locked, they’ll be trapped inside at your mercy.” She remained still. "I'm not using you as bait. I would never let anything happen to you, Neo." He sat by her side and let her weep.

Neo placed her head on Roman’s shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and let her cry freely. She clung to his shirt and shook as he sobs became too much for her to contain. “We can come up with something else, but it could take longer. We’ll do whatever you want to do.” Neo buried her head in his shoulder to hide. “I promise no one will lay a finger on you while I’m there. I would kill anyone who even _thought_ of trying to hurt you. You know you will always have me by your side.” Neo looked up and locked eyes with Roman. Her mismatched eyes were puffy and still tearing up. She pulled herself a little higher and desperately kissed him. Roman gently kissed her back, tucking away a lock of hair behind her ear. Neo pulled away and sighed. A quick nod of the head and Roman understood. It was time to set things in motion. She needs this; she needs to get her revenge. Her father ruined her life, she’ll make sure to make him regret everything he has done.


	5. The Only Exception

The actual plan involved more of Roman than Neo. He had to convince Choc to let him bring in a girl that would wow his clientele. They left their apartment in Vale and took a trip to Mistral. They rented a hotel room for themselves. “I’m not grounding you, Neo, but I think it’ll be better if you stay inside while we wait for Saturday.” She reluctantly agreed. Roman kissed the top of her head. “I have to set our plan in motion. I’ll keep you connected through my scroll.” Neo placed a longing kiss on his lips.  _ Please be careful _ , she was trying to tell him. Roman gave her a quick peck. “You know I’m always careful.” She held tightly to his hand until he left.

Roman knew it would be easy to convince Choc, the problem would be if he could control his anger in front of the man. Since he’s read Neo’s writing, Roman hated her father from the start. As he saw Neo struggle with the trauma, he hated the man even more. But he had to be careful. If his anger got the best of him, it could ruin the entire plan. He couldn’t do that to Neo. When he made it to the Sorvete Manor, he requested to see Choc. The guards informed him that Choc didn’t take visits he didn’t plan. “Well, then,” Roman said as he tipped his hat. “Why don’t you tell him I am interested in striking a deal with him? I have all day, I'll wait.” Shortly after that, Roman was escorted to Choc’s study and was instructed to wait.

Choc’s brown hair was streaked with white and his face was slowly being taken over by wrinkles. Roman stood and shook the man’s hand with the fakest smile he has ever done. “Choc Sorvete. I’ve heard many things about you. I’m Roman Torchwick.”

“I doubt all of them are good,” Choc grumbled out as he took a seat. “Care for a drink?” Before Roman could answer, Choc was already calling for one of his girls to bring in whiskey. “Let’s cut the idle chat, tell me why you’re here.”

“I work in Vale. I run a business similar to your own, but I’ve come to realize it’s rather a bore to me and it has tough competition. After all, I hear rumors of men coming here from far away places to be with your girls. Letting my girl free would only result in the cops chasing after me. I thought it would be much simpler to sell her to you. ”There was a knock on the door. A dark-eyed girl walked in and handed each man a glass of whiskey. Choc waited until the girl was gone. 

“Girl?” Choc asked. Roman quirked one of his eyebrows, a mischievous smile forming on his face. "Only one? How have you even managed to keep a business up with one whore?"

“Yes, a single girl," Roman answered cautiously. He lifted the glass of whiskey to his lips to check his anger. "I found it easier to control one girl in my small business.” Choc ran his fingers through his graying hair.

“And your clients never got tired of her?” Roman chuckled and shook his head. "I've frankly got to say I'm impressed. I've never heard of you before, Mr. Torchwick. At least not in my business world. I know about every competition so you're painting a real picture for yourself right now."

“Why have multiple girls to appeal to many clients when one is enough?” Roman took a small drink from his glass. “It’s easier to appeal to each client when my girl can change her looks to their needs.” Choc’s eyes went bright with interest, he ignored the fact that he just questioned Roman's motives. “I’ve had her for about five years. She’s brought me a lot of money. I keep her a secret most of the time. She was a scared little thing when I found her. Some me are into that kind of thing.”

“Fascinating,” Choc muttered as he downed his drink. “Can I see this girl, does she have a name?” Roman shook his head impatiently and set his glass down. He didn't enjoy talking about Neo this way, even if he knew why he was doing it.

"She calls herself Pink. But no, you can't see her yet. I want all of your associates to see her." Roman lifted his glass again. Choc was fidgeting in his seat and was clearly distracted. "Is everything okay, Mr. Sorvete?"

"How do you expect me to get all of my men here? You're asking me to bring them here when I have no girl to show. I don't know what she looks like."

“I know you’re having one of your parties soon,” Roman said and finished his drink. “Get your best clients in, your most loyal ones. I’ll bring my girl and she’ll give your men a little performance with her abilities.” Roman stood up and held his hand out. “Deal?” Choc stood with him and generously shook his hand. “Of course, I want to see where this party will be held and if it’s to my standard.”

“Absolutely, follow me.” Roman was lead to a room with high windows and multiple exits. When Roman made a disapproving sound, Choc asked, “Where would you like it to be?” They spent some time walking around the manor until Roman found a basement that would be perfect for their plan. “In here? It’s pretty dark.”

“Then light some candles,” Roman said with a smile and waved his hand around. “Make it all nice, romantic. My girl will be the centerpiece of it all. I’ll be checking each of your guests for weapons. This girl is pretty valuable and I don’t want to risk anyone hurting my cargo.” Choc agreed and shook the man’s hand again.

“I’ll see you next week,” Choc said as Roman walked out. Roman kept a simple smile on his face as he entered his rented car. He drove back to the hotel and found Neo sitting in the middle of the bed. Originally, the room was supposed to have two beds so they could each have their own, but Neo protested about it until Roman ordered a new room with a larger bed for the two of them to share.

“Hey, Neo,” Roman sighed as he took off his coat and hat. “Did you hear everything?” He had his scroll on a continuous call with Neo while he was visiting the manor. He took a seat on the bed with her. “How are you doing?” Instead of trying to respond, Neo threw herself on top of Roman. He fell backward on the bed as Neo attacked him with her lips. 

Roman was enjoying the moment until he realized Neo was shaking. Her hands trembled no matter how hard she tried to hide it. He felt her tears on his skin as she kept trying to kiss him to distract herself. Roman sat up and pulled her into a hug. She kept crying as he rocked her back and forth. “You can’t keep doing it like this. It’s not going to mean the same if you do it to hide your pain.” He pulled back so he could see her face. Her pink and brown eyes were bloodshot with tears. “I like you, Neo. A lot. Which is really shocking considering you've tried to kill me so many times.” She broke into a silent giggle. Roman smiled and kissed the top of her head. “I just want us to mean something. I don’t want this to be a distraction for you.” She nodded slowly. She fell backward and let out a deep sigh.

Roman smiled to himself and leaned over her. He pressed his lips over her neck and kissed her softly. “But if you ever really want to try something,” he whispered between his kisses, “then I’ll be here for you.” A small nibble on her collarbone caused her to gasp. “Okay?” He laid down next to her and held her hand. It was much smaller than his. She was still blushing as pink as her hair. They stayed in bed for the rest of the day. Neo found comfort in Roman’s arms. When he woke up the next morning, Neo had already ordered breakfast. She hadn’t bothered to change out of her sleeping clothes, just an oversized shirt, but she was walking around the hotel room with nervous energy.

“What’s the rush, Pink?” Roman asked with a wink. She rolled her eyes and passed him a note.  _ We need to decide what I will be wearing and what I’ll look like for Saturday. _ “That can wait, you know.” She shook her head. The more she waited, the more anxious she was going to get. Roman grabbed a strawberry and sighed. “I was thinking of white. To make you look more innocent.” In response, her hair and eyes changed to white. “Give me pink eyes, the white is too harsh to look at.” He scratched his head and thought. “I think you’re going to need a more revealing outfit.” He reached into a drawer and tossed her a bag. “You don’t have to show me, but I want to know if it works for you.”

Neo went to the bathroom and changed into the lingerie Roman gave her. It was white and lacy. It didn’t cover much since it was sheer, but it dripped down to her thighs and covered the scars in her arms with lace. She walked out and enjoyed the reaction Roman got; he nearly choked on his food when he laid eyes on her. “I told you I didn't have to see it.” She sat on his lap and kissed his jawline. “Neo…” he breathed out in a warning. She huffed a breath out and pressed his forehead to hers. “I think this will distract them enough.” Neo gave him a quick kiss before changing into her normal attire. 

When Saturday came, Neo was distant. She was hardly responding or acknowledging anything Roman did. He kept a close eye on her to make sure she didn’t try to hurt herself. “Neo.” He placed a kiss on her cheek. “We leave at sundown.” She nodded and started getting ready. She couldn’t stop her hands from shaking the entire car ride. When Roman pulled into the manor, she was barely moving. The only indication of life came from the small rise and fall of her chest as she took shallow breaths. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you. I'm going to be standing in there with you. We'll be the only ones with weapons.” Roman grabbed his cane and scroll. “I’ll call you when it’s time for you to enter. Stay here until then.” She nodded in response. He gave Neo a quick kiss to the cheek before heading out.

Roman was greeted by Choc. “Where’s the girl, Mr. Torchwick?” Together they walked to a sitting room where many men were drinking. Some of them had women in their lap. “I don’t suppose you would let me see her before anyone else?”

“Patience is key, Mr. Sorvete. But as soon as all of our guests are in the party room, I’ll bring her out.” The clients lined up at the entrance of the basement and waited as Roman checked their pockets. Some of them had guns and knives. He removed them and told the men to wait inside. He checked at least three dozen men. When everyone found a seat around the stage set up in the center, Roman decided it was time. “Gentlemen, have a few drinks. Your entertainment will arrive shortly. Get ready for the show of your life. It’ll be unforgettable.” He closed the door and trapped them in. 

“Pink, it’s time,” he said when Neo answered. He waited until she showed up in front of him. “They’re all yours.” Neo wore higher heels than usual and seemed to have no problem in them. She wrapped her arms around Roman's neck and gave him a desperate kiss. Roman gently kissed her back until she was ready to let go. Roman walked inside and waved his cane around for dramatic effect. “Gentlemen, I present to you the one and only, the girl that would let your wildest dreams run wild. Pink, it’s time to shine.” Neo pushed the doors open and walked to the center of the room. Her white heels clicked against the tile. It was the only sound until men started to whistle at her. Roman kept a tight smile and held a hand out to her. She grabbed it and used it to prop herself on stage and. She got down her knees and held her parasol upright with her hands gripping the handle.

“She goes to the highest bidder. And I don’t mean just for the night. I am more than willing to sell her to you for as long as you’d want to keep her. I am a very negotiable man” Soon, the men started chattering and calling out numbers. Roman walked to the door and leaned against it. He doubled checked to make sure it was locked. No one was getting in and no one was getting out.  

“What’s with the umbrella?” Choc asked with a frown in his face when he joined Roman’s side. Neo looked up from her bent position. Her pale hair shielded her face as she locked eyes with Roman. He gave her a slight nod. She stood up with a slight smile on her face. 

“She can do a lot with that stick,” Roman responded coldly. He smiled at Choc and jerked his head towards Neo. “Just watch her.” She approached the nearest man and sweetly smiled at him.  The man ket a smug smile on his face and tried to grab her. "No touching," Roman snapped at the same time Neo swatted the man's hand away. He took a deep breath to calm down and pulled a show-stopping smile. " _She'll_ show you a good time. it's what she's good at." Neo trailed the end of her parasol down his face until it rested on the man's chest. She batted her eyes and turned them black as she ejected the end of her blade into his heart.

She didn’t give anyone a chance to react as she attacked the next person. She held the blade in one hand and the blade in the other. Roman watched her with a capricious look on his face. It was beautiful to see her at work. She didn’t hesitate with her attacks, not even with wearing heels taller than she was used to wearing. Each of hit was planned. Her appearance changed each time she moved to a new victim. The recognition in their eyes when she changed was enough for Roman to know that she was forced to look that way with each of the men she attacked. Some tried to fight her, but with a quick swing of her blade, Neo decapitated them or sent them flying back with a kick to the chest. Choc was the first to try to run away, but Roman pushed him away with his cane.

Roman looked up when he heard Neo cry out, a short gasp from her lips. Someone had hit her with a glass bottle. He growled and aimed at the man with the end of his cane and fired at him. Neo finished him off with her blade. The remaining men tried to do the same and attacked her with anything they could get their hands on, but Neo was faster on her feet. She moved too fast for Roman to keep a steady eye on her. She was ruthless and bloody. She was a beautiful masterpiece. When everyone but Choc was taken care of, Neo shed her illusion and stood in her true form.

“Neopolitan,” Choc whispered. Roman butted him in the head with his cane. He didn’t like how he said her name. "You tricked me..."

“Stop talking,” Roman ordered. "You don't deserve to speak to her." Neo locked her eyes with Roman. Her adrenaline was what kept her going, but facing her father brought so many memories back. Roman stood by her side and placed a hand on the small of her back. “I’m here, Neo.” Choc’s eyes darted between them in fear. Roman moved his hand until it was resting on her shoulder. "I'm always here."

“I’m sorry,” Choc choked out between his tremors. “Please, Neopolitan. You’re my daughter. Don’t do this.” Neo gripped the handle of her parasol and pulled the blade out. She changed into a different form, with bright green hair and matching eyes. “Minthe... Neopolitan, don’t do this. I kept you alive. Please…” Neo took a small step towards the cowering man. "I protected you, don't you remember that?" Neo dropped her illusion and stood in her tricolored form. "Why can't you see that I tried to keep you alive?" neo held the blade to Choc's face. He knew he had no way of escaping. "Did you finally accept you're not human?" Neo brought the blade down on her father. Again and again and again. After his screams faded, the only sound left came from Neo as she kept bringing the blade down on her father’s unmoving body.

Roman didn’t stop her, he let her finish. Neo breathing heavily by the time she placed the blade back in her parasol. She turned around and faced Roman. She was covered in blood, tear stains clearing a path on her face. Her white gown was now splattered in red. “Did you get everyone?” Neo shook her head slowly. “Most of them?” She nodded. He placed his hand on her cheek and ran his finger under her eye. "We'll find the rest." He was smearing the blood across her face, but neither of them seemed to care. Roman leaned down and kissed her. Neo dropped her parasol and held tightly as she kissed him back. She was staining him with blood, but again, neither of them cared. “Let’s get out of here,” Roman said when they pulled away. He removed his coat and placed it around her shoulders to cover her up.

They were on their way across the manor when Neo ran into a familiar face. Stele’s black eyes bore into her. “I knew you would come back,” Stele whispered hopefully. She looked at the smaller girl covered in blood. Neo looked comfortable with having so much blood in her, she wore it as if it was a magnificent ball gown. “Are they gone?” Neo nodded slowly. Stele reached over to hug her, but Roman stopped her when Neo flinched away.

“I think it’s best for all of us to leave,” he said kindly, “before anyone else shows up and starts asking questions.” He grabbed Neo’s hand and left the manor. By some miracle of the gods, nobody ran into them as they returned to the hotel. It would have been hard to explain why they were covered in blood. Neo grabbed Roman’s hand and pulled him into the bathroom. “I know I’m a little messy, but I didn’t think I was _that_ bad.” She rolled her eyes as she filled the large bathtub with water. Roman went to the bar the hotel kept stocked and grabbed a bottle of champagne and two glasses. When he returned, the tub was filled with warm water and bubbles and she had discarded the coat she was wearing. 

“I’m not always a romantic, Neo, but I thought I would take you out for dinner before we came to this.” He popped the bottle open and poured the drinks. She clinked her glass against his before downing the drink. Her hands were fast as she unbuttoned his shirt and yanked it off. Roman leaned against the counter as Neo attacked with her lips. He grabbed her by the hips to keep her steady. They broke apart, both trying to catch their breath. Neo slowly took off the tattered pieces of clothing she still had on and dipped into the bathtub. Roman sat at the edge of the tub.

“You are unbelievable,” Roman whispered. He leaned over and placed a kiss on her lips. Neo grabbed him by the waist and pulled him into the tub with her. She silently giggled as Roman splashed water on her with a grin on his face. “I can’t believe you did that.” He tried to get out of the tub, but she held onto him so he wouldn’t go anywhere. “I don’t want to sit in here with wet clothes.” Neo helped him remove the rest of his clothes. She smiled at him as she poured more champagne for the two. “How are you feeling?” She rolled her eyes. “What, I can’t ask?” She moved closer to him until she was on his lap. “So you have other things in mind.”

She wrapped her hands around his face and pulled him in a kiss. Meeting Roman changed her life. He didn’t have to train her or help her get revenge, but he did anyway. He never did anything to betray her. She felt safe with him and knew he would always take care of her. Roman kept his hands on her waist and didn’t move them until she moved them for him. He took things slowly; he didn’t want to do anything to make her uncomfortable. She kept her hands on his shoulders while he gently stroked her thighs. She gasped into their kiss when his hands kept going higher. She kept pecking his lips. Roman placed a wet hand on her face and pulled her closer. Neo smiled and touched her forehead with his. She reached over and grabbed her glass. Roman smiled and grabbed his as well.

“You are the most fascinating person I have ever met,” Roman whispered. Neo leaned on the opposite side of the tub and sunk into the warm water. She gently nudged her foot against Roman’s leg, teasing him in the way he did to make her flustered. “As I said, we do anything you want to do. As long as you’re okay with doing it.” They washed up and stayed in the bathtub until the water went cold. Neo refilled it and enjoyed laying in it while Roman held her in his arms. 

“So are you going to be my partner?” Roman asked her. She placed a wet hand on his chest and moved closer to kiss him. “I mean in crime. Not that I’m complaining about this setup.” She eagerly nodded in response. “How many times do you think you’ve threatened me or actually injured me?” She giggled silently and shook her head.  _ Too many times _ . Roman lifted her chin and kissed her. “I’m glad this all worked out.” She kissed him back.  _ Me too.  _ When the water got cold again, Neo got out and wrapped a towel around herself. Roman shortly followed her.

Neo laid in bed naked. She propped herself on her elbows and reached her arm out to accept the glass of champagne Roman was offering her. Her damp hair clung to her skin. Roman sat in the bed with her. He caressed her face fondly. She grabbed his hand and moved it to her bare chest. Even though she was the one who moved it, his touch caused her skin to go into goosebumps. “You’ve been hurt and abused before, Neo,” Roman said quietly, moving his hand to hold her face again, “If you let me, I want to show you what it’s like to be loved.” She kissed the back of his hand. Roman leaned over her and kissed her collarbone and chest. “Just tell me when to stop…”

She gasped when she felt his delicate touch on her body. He didn’t speak, he communicated with his lips. His hands were gentle on her skin. Neo tried to convey her feelings back to Roman as he did to her. Their night was filled with soft embraces and passionate kisses. Neo didn’t feel scared or threatened by Roman’s touch. He was right to be worried about how she would react, but she pushed past that. With each of his kisses, Neo wanted more. She wanted to get closer. Roman didn’t take control, he didn’t want to overwhelm her, but soon they were both panting and against each other. 

Roman always knew she was beautiful, but seeing her like this made him smile. They stayed in each other's arms for the rest of the night. When she got cold, she wore Roman’s shirt. He traced his fingers over the scars on her body. They were caused by her own hand, but thankfully there weren’t any new ones. He hoped she wouldn’t need to create more after tonight. Neo found out Roman didn’t have many scars as she traced his body the same way he was doing so. The most prominent one was over his eyebrow, one she caused those many months ago when she was a street rat and he was an unconventional criminal. They stayed in Mistral longer than they intended to. First, it was to make sure the cops didn't gain a trail on them, but as the days stretched on, they just wanted to stay with each other. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit guys! Volume 6's finale! This work is almost over, but I'm sure I'll come back to Neo because I love her. Are you guys interested in anyone in particular?


	6. One Thing

They stuck together. When they first met, Roman promised Neo he would help her get revenge. Now that it was over, Neo stayed because she wanted to be with Roman. She was always by his side when he needed her. Roman met with old and new business partners and introduced Neo to them, bringing her into the criminal world. She stayed behind him most of the time; he did the talking while she made sure to have his back. When anybody made a comment about her height or looks, anything that would set her off, Roman would give her a signal. A hand on the shoulder meant this was an important or powerful business partner and a wink meant she could put them in their place. Over the years they spent scheming together, they built their reputation in the criminal world. Roman was the criminal mastermind and Neo was the silent killer.

Neo soon found out that torturing people was just as fun as killing them. When Roman was caught up with important business that he couldn’t take in other work, Neo volunteered to do it. She’s never gone by herself, but she was more than capable of doing anything Roman would do. In fact, she enjoyed it so much, that she went on more missions by herself. No one went directly to her, they went to Roman first. Nobody trusted her with the reputation she carried around. In Vale, Roman was focused on dust robberies for a new employer while Neo traveled around Remnant and finished his missions for him. She returned most of the time without a scratch. Once or twice she was caught off guard, but she always went back and finished the job. She didn’t like to lose.

Every time she was gone, Roman had this empty feeling in his gut. He didn’t know what it was until it went away when he laid eyes on her when she returned. He didn’t know how much he hated being away from her until she left. Neo found it easier to work by herself, but she didn’t trust anyone to protect Roman like she does while she was away. Each time they were reunited, Roman stopped whatever he was doing to spend the day with her. Neo always came first, no matter what his employer said. She came back from a mission to their apartment in Vale. They still lived in the shady side, but it was a much bigger apartment with a single bedroom they both shared. Neo’s favorite feature was the large bath where she spent many nights with Roman.

“Are you hurt?” he asked her as he ran his hands over her body. She stood on her toes and kissed him.  _ No _ . She ran under her thumb under his eyes in concern. He had dark circles and looked more stressed than she’d ever seen him. She wrapped her arms around him and gave him a tight hug.  _ Are you okay? _  He sighed and buried his head on her hair. They collapsed on the bed together. He released a deep sigh and ran his fingers through her hair. “The big Schnee Dust ambush was a fail.” Neo sat up on her elbows and watched him carefully. “Huntresses and huntsmen got in the way. The stupid animals I’m forced to work with are useless when it came to fighting. I was left on my own. We lost the dust and my employer wasn’t happy about it. I've had to double my work to catch up on what we lost.”

After that, Neo took missions in or around Vale. Being there for him was more important than any mission she was hired to do. Roman knew what she was doing, but didn’t stop her. He wants her to be close to him to know she's safe. Neo was there to help him out. She didn’t work for Cinder, but Roman did, so by association, Neo did too. With him by her side, the dust invasions ran smoother. When they were ordered to go to Mountain Glenn, Roman asked Neo to stay behind.

“If it gets too dangerous, this is going to fall on me.” Neo huffed and held his hand.  _ We’re in this together. _  He kissed her hand affectionately. “If anything happens to you, I could never forgive myself. Cinder, she’s… she’s powerful. I can’t get out of this contract easily. Believe me, I’ve tried.” Neo placed the end of her parasol under his chin and smiled sweetly. Roman chuckled and shook his head. “You’re my little killing machine, but I don’t think it’ll be that easy. Especially with those stupid kids following her around. I'm not doubting your abilities, but it's just a strange situation.” Neo simply looked up at him with those beautiful eyes. She batted her eyes sweetly when he sighed in defeat. “If anything happens to me, Neo…” She stopped him by kissing him. He gently pushed her back. “If I get caught after this, if anything goes wrong, you have to stay away from them. You’re don’t owe her anything.” She simply kissed him in response.

Neo stayed with him in Mountain Glenn despite his wishes. She didn’t do any manual labor, that’s what the Faunus were for, but she was there when someone stepped out of line. None of them approached her, they learned fast that she was ruthless. When they finished their work for the day, Neo and Roman were left to their own accord. She wasn’t with him when she heard the announcement go off. The train wasn't supposed to take off for days, she knew something was wrong. She raced across the base until she found him. “Huntresses,” he answered her frantic looks.  She rolled her eyes in annoyance. “Those stupid kids keep ruining my plans.” When the train started moving, they jumped inside. “Destroy them, Neo. No one is stopping you.” She gave him a playful wink before her longing kiss. “I’ll see you soon.”

Except she didn’t. After fleeing from Raven Branwen, she tried to find Roman. The impact of the train breaking through layers of concrete threw her around the train cart and caused her to blackout. She escaped past the Grimm and huntsmen and huntresses and tried to find Roman among all the chaos. She easily found him, but he was being cornered by Cinder. There was a flame coming from the palm of her hand. She was holding it in his face as she spoke, “You’re going to get arrested. While Ironwood is busy interrogating you, I’ll make sure the tournament plans go smoothly. Anything you’ve lead has been a complete and utter failure. You’ll play your part and keep the general busy. Understood?”

Cinder had her back to her. Neo had the blade from her parasol in her hand and was ready to charge at Cinder when Roman placed his hand on Cinder’s shoulder. “Of course, gorgeous,” Roman said casually. Neo stopped on her tracks. Placing his hand on her shoulder was more for Neo than for Cinder. “As long as you promise to get me out in time. I wouldn't want to miss the fun.” Neo could feel a pain in her chest as Cinders goons, Emerald and Mercury, led him away. Roman turned to look at Neo from her hiding spot. He tried to keep a straight face when he laid eyes on her tearstained face.

On Cinder’s next meeting, Neo joined, and she was pissed. While everyone was still recovering from the shock of seeing her in the meeting without Roman, Neo took the opportunity to attack Emerald and Mercury. They were the ones who turned Roman in. She blocked their hits with her parasol and attacked their weak spots without hesitation. She held Mercury down with her foot on his chest and her blade pointed at Emerald when she felt something hit her. Taken by surprise, she fell back against the wall and blocked another fireball from Cinder. “That’s enough,” she said as she walked towards Neo. The flame quickly faded away, but her eye still glowed brightly. “Your boss… or whatever he is to you… will be freed. With your help, everything will go as plan. He’ll be freed on the night the Grimm attack Beacon. You can speed things up if you help me.” Cinder stretched her hand out to shake Neo’s, but she only closed her parasol in response.

She sat throughout the meeting and listened to Cinder’s plan. When anyone asked her something, she was resorted to writing it down and passing the note along. “How does Roman ever hold a conversation with you?” Emerald exasperated when Neo was taking too long to answer. "This is infuriating." She narrowed her eyes and shoved the notepad across the table. Roman always knew what she was trying to tell him. She communicated in ways only he understood. Now she was stuck working with these fools until she was reunited with Roman. She kept her parasol in plain sight so her message got across.

_ I don’t work for you _ . Cinder could clearly see how much distrust Neo had, but she would agree to work for her until Roman was freed. She was the fourth member of their team in the Vytal Tournament. She wasn’t thrilled about working with them, but she enjoyed beating up other people. When she stomped on the face a contestant who already had a low aura, she almost caused the team to be disqualified. Cinder wasn’t happy about it, but Neo ignored her as she ranted. She was trying to make it clear.  _ I don’t work for you _ . She took over Roman’s previous position and ordered the Faunus around. At first, they didn’t really acknowledge her because of course, how much damage could a mute little girl do? They soon regretted asking that asking that question when she lashed out. The only Faunus who didn't listen to her was Adam Taurus, but Neo was supposed to work with him since he held power and control in the White Fang. She was there to help Cinder and her children escape after Mercury's fight. She showed up where she needed to be but didn’t stick around for long. She didn’t belong with them, she didn't want to spend more time with them than she already had to.

Every night, Neo fell asleep in their shared bed. She hadn’t felt this alone in years. The nightmares that used to keep her awake were mostly gone. Whenever they returned, Roman would be there to calm her down and remind her where she was and who she was with. His love kept her demons away. When she woke up crying and found his side of the bed empty, she felt an emptiness in her chest. There were nights where she didn’t bother sleeping anymore. She would sit in front of her mirror and look at her reflection as she changed into bright orange hair and beautiful green eyes. She placed her hand in the mirror and pretended it was Roman holding it, pretended she wasn’t alone again. She told herself they would be together again, but they didn't mean anything to her on the nights she cried herself to sleep.

When the night came to attack Vale, she was ready. She’s was waiting for the Grimm to enter the city, knowing very well it was her cue to infiltrate the military airship. Cinder wanted Mercury to go with her, but she responded by holding her blade to his throat once Cinder left. Mercury backed away from her and decided to leave her alone, even if it angered Cinder. He called her a freak under his breath but Neo decided to ignore it. Her excitement to see Roman again was too grand for anything to ruin her mood. She disguised herself into military clothes and stayed in the ship until it was time. She was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. When the alarms rang over the Grimm invasion, Neo killed quickly and spared no one. There was only one cell being guarded, she knew it was him inside.

“Well… It’s about time.” She dropped what she was holding -her parasol, his cane, and his hat- and threw herself into his arms. Roman lifted her into his arms and held her up so her feet weren’t even touching the ground. She kissed him and didn’t stop until they had to catch their breath. Roman wiped her tears away and kept pecking her lips until she regained her composure. “I love you,” he whispered to her. Neo silently giggled and kissed him.  _ I love you, too _ . They weren’t used to saying it, Neo preferred it when he showed it instead of said it. He buried his head in the crook of her neck and breathed in her sent. “I’ve missed you so much.”  _ Me, too _ , her gentle kiss said. He pulled back and looked at her sadly.

“I told you to stay away from them, Neo,” he whispered. He could see how their departure had taken a toll on her, she had dark circles under her eyes. Neo shook her head slowly. Roman caressed her face. “I was so scared something would happen to you.” She rolled her eyes. “Yes, I know you can take care of yourself. I just-” She forced her lips on him. She planted her feet on the ground and kept her arms around his neck, forcing him to bend down. “Did you kill any of them?” She let out a long, exasperated sigh. “Well, I knew you would have been able to on your own. We’ll do what she wants us to do and leave. As long as the arsenal is hijacked, we have no other role. We can take this airship and get away from all of this.” She nodded and kissed his cheek. “I won’t let anything come between us.”

_ I love you _ , she tried to say, but her lips moved awkwardly. He kissed her one more time before taking over the controls. “I know, Neo. I know.” She stayed back and watched him have fun with his newly acclaimed freedom. Both of them looked up when they heard something land on the roof of the ship. Roman sighed and asked her to check it out. Neo obeyed; she was glad to finally take orders from someone she trusted. The sky was filled with Grimm. The huntress that ruined everything, the reason why Roman had to execute the Mountain Glenn attack early, was fighting off a Griffon. Neo took a picture of her and sent it to Roman.  _ Guess who?  _ She put her scroll away and charged towards the girl.

She dodged Little Red’s hits. She was good with her scythe, but it was bulky and big on her. It left her open for attacks. Neo shattered an illusion and let Roman fire a shot at the kid. She used her scythe to hold onto the ship instead of being blown away. Roman marched towards her and glared down as he spoke, “Little Red, Little Red,” he taunted. “You are just  _ determined _  to be the hero of Vale, aren’t you?”

“What are you doing?” she asked with wide eyes. “Without these ships, the Grimm would destroy everything!” Neo rolled her eyes at her naive spirit.

“That’s the plan!” Roman responded and aimed his cane at her face. Little Red pushed it away and Roman stumbled. Neo jumped in and attacked the girl with quick kicks and tried to push her off the edge. She managed to catch herself before falling into the Grimm sky. Neo walked to Roman’s side and kept a smug smile on her face.

“But why?!” Little Red asked and pointed her scythe at them. “What do you get out of it?!”

“You’re asking the wrong questions, Red,” Roman scoffed as he glared at her. “It’s not what I have to gain. It’s that I can’t afford to lose.” Red charged towards them. The pair smirked at each other. Roman bent down so Neo could use his height to propel herself up and kick Red away. Neo jumped towards the girl and disarmed her. The scythe edged itself on the side of the ship while Neo kicked Red towards Roman. He threw his cane towards her then shot her in the chest. Red fell over the side of the ship but managed to hold on to her scythe. Neo stood on Roman’s side again; it felt good to fight together. They didn’t hesitate; they knew how to fight as one even after being separated for weeks.

“I may be a gambling man, but even I know there’s some bets you just don’t take.” Neo smirked as she heard Roman speak. She didn’t wait for him to give her the cue; she ejected the blade from the end of her parasol and slowly approached Red. “Like it or not, the people who hired me are going to change the world.” She pointed the blade at the girl’s face. Her silver eyes went wide with fear. “You can’t stop ‘em. I can’t stop ‘em. You know the old saying.” Neo’s smirked down at Red, ready to deliver the blow. “If you can’t beat ‘em-”

Neo was rarely taken by surprise. Red had pushed the button on her parasol and made it open up. The blowing wind sucked her into the air. She let out an audible gasp she floated away from the ship. “Neo!!” Roman cried out as her figure faded away. Neo let out the most painful scream she’d ever been able to do. Whether the sound came from her or from the growling Grimm, she can’t remember. All she knew was that she was separated from Roman again and it pained her. Neo held tightly on her parasol and tried to avoid getting killed by the Grimm as the ship grew smaller in the distance.

Roman was still following Neo’s figure when Red pulled herself up from the side of the ship. “I don’t care what you say,” she told him with a glare, “We will stop them, and I  _ will _  stop you.” Roman was trying to keep it together. He had to trust his gut. Neo’s a killing machine; she’s a survivor. She knows how to stay alive. “BET ON THAT!” Red charged towards her using her semblance

Roman didn’t have the patience to deal with her. He threw a shot on her and knocked her back. He charged at her and kept striking without hesitation until she was on the ground. “You got spirit, Red,” he spat and held his cane up, “but this is the real world!” He hit her with his cane. With each hit, he felt something inside him break. Neo was gone. Screw Cinder and her stupid plan, he had to find Neo. “The real world is cold!” Red cowered at his cane. Neo has struggled for years to survive, to get rid of the demons that have haunted her. She didn't deserve this. “The real world doesn’t care about spirit!” He was ready to strike her again when she kicked his knees and sent him stumbling back. He let out a deep breath and tried to clear his vision. Neo deserves so much more than what’s she’s been through. Neo deserved to rule the world.

He fell to his knees as she struggled to stand up. He could barely keep it together. He was so angry and heartbroken, all he could think of is Neo. He just got her back and she was gone again.  He needed to find her. “You wanna be a hero?” he spat angrily as he stood up. “Then play the part and die like every other huntsman in history!” He swung his cane and hit Red’s head to knock her down. She struggled to get up. Roman was tired of this brat, she got in the way of everything. Neo wasn’t here, but he had no problem killing her himself. “As for me, I’ll do what I do best.” He stepped towards her. “Lie. Steal. Cheat.” He raised his cane up one final time. “And survive!”

Neo landed in a skyscraper mostly unharmed. She pulled her scroll out to call Roman and figure out how to get back together. Her eyes traced the sky until she found the airship he was still on and tried to follow it on foot.  _ Pick up _ .  _ Please _ . The feeling in her chest wouldn’t go away. Her fears brought the Grimm towards her and she had no choice but to stop running so she could fight them off. An explosion caused everything to freeze. Neo looked up and found his ship plummeting down; everything was on fire. Neo fell to her knees and watched the ship crash. She just froze there; the abandoned building was crawling with citizens just trying to survive. She didn’t know when the tears came, but she couldn’t make them stop.

When the Atlas Military started rounding survivors and took them to a secured area, Neo broke herself free from the crowd. She needed to find him. “Ma’am-” Someone called to her when she made it some way down the blocks. “Ma’am, we’re taking survivors back to a shelter, please come with us.” She fought her way through until she made it to the crash site. It was impossible to go through as herself with so many of Ironwood’s men combing through the rubble, so she disguised herself as one of them.  _ Please _ … she begged as she dug through the rubble.

The ash in the air was making it hard to breathe, but Neo hadn’t been able to breathe since she was swept away from him. She froze when her hand touched a familiar hat. Tears started pouring from her eyes as she kept digging until her eyes fell on a familiar face. He was warm, but not warm in a way that a living person would be. A painful grunt escaped for lips as she cradled his body in her small arms.  _ Please… you were the one thing I had. _  She didn’t want to leave him. She had to be with him, like always. She was supposed to keep him safe. Neo didn’t look up when she heard footsteps behind her. Her illusion faded away when she laid eyes on his dead body. Nothing was holding her together.

“I thought one of you would try to break him out.” She looked over her shoulders and found General Ironwood glooming over her. “Are you one of the pawns?” She simply glared at him, her tears continuously flowing. She harshly rubbed them away; she was so used to Roman wiping them away whenever she cried. “You cared about Roman Torchwick.” Neo growled at him; how  _ dare _  he say his name. “A common criminal, a petty thief.” She stood up and grabbed her parasol. The general towered over her but she didn’t care. “Run.” She stared at him for a while. “I’m giving you a chance to leave. Next time I won’t be so considerate.” She quickly glanced at Roman’s body. She couldn't just leave him behind, but she had no choice. 

Neo ran. She stayed hidden in Vale until she found a way to return to Mistral, to the place she first escaped from. She spent her days stealing and doing dirty work. It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered. No matter how many people she killed or tortured, she still felt empty. With so much competition going on, she didn’t make much money. She was forced to live in the lower levels of Mistral; a rickety old apartment with no heating, barely any running water, and the sketchiest neighbors she had to deal with every day. The landlord of the building tried to make as many small, dysfunctional apartments as possible in order to make more money. He tried to get handsy with her once, but she didn’t hesitate to throw her blade at him. He managed to move out of the way before it impaled him, but he didn’t try to mess with her again.

When she wasn’t out doing missions or tracking people for less money that she would like, Neo stayed in her bedroom. Food wasn’t a priority as much as having a place to live in was. She lost everything the night Beacon fell. Her belongings, her home, the love of her life… She would take it all back if it meant Roman would be here with her. She wouldn’t be living in such a terrible place. He had contacts all over Anima, it would have been no problem to find something to keep them going. Neo had been hired by his contacts before, but nobody trusted her. She really couldn’t blame them considering everyone called her the Silent Killer, the Cold-Blooded Murderer, the Freak. Nobody could control her, she was unpredictable. Her world has changed. Before she had Roman to help her, but now she was all alone again, trapped with an angry voice in her head that she couldn't use out loud.

Neo stared at herself in her cracked mirror. She knew what she needed. It was something she wasn’t able to accomplish before without Roman, but it helped her at the time.  _ Revenge _ . Just thinking the word made her heart race, it took her out of this numbness she’s been in.  _ Cinder Fall. She forced Roman to do everything. This is all her fault. _  Neo’s eyes burned black with rage. She will kill Cinder if it’s the last thing she ever did. Roman gave her a life; he loved her despite the fact that she wasn’t normal. Not just because she was mute or didn’t know how to function like others. He never cared that she needed to kill in order to stay sane. He was always there for her, always there to have her back just how she had his. He took her out of the streets and gave her a place in his life. She had a place where she belonged.

_ I will kill her. _  There have been rumors going around that an attack on Haven Academy would follow Beacon’s fall, but no one took it seriously. Neo knew this rumor could only follow one person. She would find Cinder and she would end her. Roman would tell her it’s stupid and reckless for her to go into this investigation so blindly. But he wasn’t here to stop her. He wasn’t here because of Cinder. Nothing will stop her. She had to kill her, she  _ will _  kill her. No matter the consequences. Killing her won't bring Roman back, but it will be enough to satisfy Neo.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my take on Neo's backstory. More of her and Roman will be revealed in the next chapters. If you enjoyed what you read, leave a kudos! I would really appreciate it. I accept any criticism and would love to hear your opinion on my writing. Neo has always been one of my favorite characters and I hope we get more of her real story in Volume 6.


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